While J.C. Latham and Amani Hooker opening camp on the PUP list sounds dire, insider reports confirm these short-term setbacks won't derail the veteran starters' regular season availability.
The Tennessee Titans opened training camp with injury news on Thursday.
It was the first day that the rookies from the 2026 NFL Draft were set to report to the Titans facility. Tennessee selected Carnell Tate, Keldric Faulk, Anthony Hill Jr., Fernando Carmona, Nicholas Singleton, Pat Coogan, Jackie Marshall and Jaren Kanak in the draft back in April.
It's the second group of rookies that General Manager Mike Borgonzi has drafted since he joined the Titans in January of 2025.
With the good news came bad news, or so we thought.
Titans insider Jim Wyatt reported that both J.C. Latham and Amani Hooker were going to start training camp on the PUP list. Wyatt also shared that the Titans waived tackle Ryan Hayes and signed tackle Zachary Thomas, but the focus here was Latham and Hooker.
It initially looked bad.
Latham and Hooker are two very key starters for the Titans as the franchise tries to escape the 3-14 hole that it's been in for the last two years. Latham has missed team activities recently due to an undisclosed injury.
Although he started his Titans career at left tackle, Latham shifted back to right tackle in 2025, where he is more comfortable, as he played there in college at Alabama.
The Titans' secondary was awful last season, allowing the seventh-most passing yards per game (190.6). Keeping a veteran around like Hooker was key for the Titans, especially with all of the new faces on defense like Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott.
Then, you have a young safety like Kevin Winston Jr., who will need a veteran mentor like Hooker to help him learn the ropes.
Although we don't know exactly what the injuries to Latham and Hooker are, the Alabama product has had a history of hip issues. Latham missed time due to a lingering hip injury last season and played in 13 games as a result.
The news seemed scary when it broke on Thursday, but it's being overblown.
Here's why:
For one, Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky shared that the injuries are short-term, and both players are expected to be back on the practice field soon. So, there's no need to start sounding the alarm bells.
The other good thing about Latham and Hooker being on the PUP list during training camp is that they can come off it at any time. Training camp starts for veterans on July 28, and coaches don't report until the day before.
The team will have its first practice together on Wednesday. The Titans' final preseason game is on Aug. 29, so Latham and Hooker can come off the PUP list any time until then.
Titans fans need to all take a collective breath and relax. Latham and Hooker are absolutely still in a position to play for the team in the season opener on Sept. 13 against the New York Jets.
If that weren't the case, I would be writing an article on how these injuries affect their respective positions. These injuries are short-term and shouldn't affect their ability to play in the season opener, or even the preseason for that matter.
This news seemed worse than it initially was when it broke on Thursday. I'm here to tell you that it's not the end of the world.
Latham and Hooker are going to be just fine.
