Tennessee
Titans RT Job is Wide Open
The Tennessee Titans are figuring out what their team will look like on Sundays during training camp, but there still remains a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the right tackle position.
There are a number of different directions the Titans can go in, and there is probably the biggest question mark there than at any other position on the roster.
“The Titans haven’t declared a starter at right tackle yet. Coach Brian Callahan said the competition could go through the length of training camp without a starter being announced until the opening game,” ESPN reporter Turron Davenport writes. “The primary competition so far is between John Ojukwu and Jaelyn Duncan. Third-year veteran Nicholas Petit-Frere will also be a factor now that he was activated off the PUP list on Friday. Tennessee allowed 64 sacks last season, tied for the third most in the NFL.”
The Titans are trying a number of different combinations for what works at right tackle by itself and with the rest of the offensive line. While Ojukwu, Duncan and Petit-Frere are the “favorites” for the job, others are being given an opportunity to shine there as well.
“Everybody has gotten some exposure on that side,” offensive line coach Bill Callahan said via ESPN. “We’re mixing and matching. The big thing is consistency, are they progressing from a physical aspect and then technique.”
Callahan knows exactly what he wants in a right tackle and nobody has yet to emerge as that clear-cut guy, but that’s what training camp is for. They don’t need to have a Week 1 starter right now, but they do need to have some sort of idea very soon, only because the season will creep up on them before they know it.
Each day that goes by in practice helps the Titans figure things out, and that should help them as a team overall.
The Titans face off against the San Francisco 49ers in their preseason opener on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
Tennessee’s redistricting special session Day 1 recap
State lawmakers returned to the capitol for a special session May 5 to consider carving Memphis into Republican-safe districts.
Tennessee House District 93 officially has someone in its briefly vacant seat.
Willis Lincoln TJ Hardaway III will hold the seat until the next general election in November. He has not made a decision as to if he will run officially for the seat yet, but will listen to the will of his constituents.
The house seat was formerly held by his father, State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, a Democrat from Memphis. Hardaway died on April 24. His death left the Tennessee House District 93 seat, which encompasses South Memphis and Orange Mound and stretches to Shelby Farms, open.
Hardaway was nominated by acclamation by the board. After he was nominated to the position, he spoke to commissioners and thanked all of them by name. He said he spent the last year spending a lot of time with his father, wanted to get to know him.
“This could not have been better timing. Last year, I spent various moments one on one with my father, for no other reason other than wanting to know more about the man…turns out I already knew the man because I already know myself,” Hardaway said.
He will travel to Nashville the evening of May 6 and be sworn in to office.
The Shelby County Commission moved swiftly to appoint someone to the seat due to the state legislature being called into a special session. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly to review the state’s congressional map on May 1, with the session beginning on May 5.
The push for redistricting Tennessee’s Congressional districts came from President Donald Trump, after the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back protections of the Voting Rights Act. The General Assembly was gaveled into the special session on May 5, which was also election day for many counties in Tennessee.
A map revealed the morning of May 6 splits the state’s 9th Congressional District and carves up Tennessee’s only majority-Black congressional seat, in Memphis. The new map shows three districts in Memphis, two of which stretch all the way to Williamson County outside Nashville.
Brooke Muckerman is the education and children’s issues and politics reporter for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Rising fertilizer costs and global supply concerns could affect Tennessee farmers and eventually push food prices higher, according to a recent MarketWatch analysis and agricultural data.
An American Farm Bureau Federation survey of more than 5,700 farmers found that about 70% said they may not be able to afford all the fertilizer they need this year.
Tennessee farmers could feel those pressures as well. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture reports the state is a major producer of crops such as soybeans and corn, both of which rely heavily on fertilizer.
Higher costs for farmers can ripple through the food supply. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has previously reported that increases in production expenses, including fertilizer, can contribute to higher food prices for consumers.
Nationally, food prices remain elevated. Grocery costs are still rising, with the USDA predicting an overall price increase of 2.9% this year.
The issue is tied in part to possible global factors. Fertilizer prices have risen amid geopolitical tensions and supply constraints, including disruptions linked to international conflicts and competition for key materials used in fertilizer production, according to a report out of the University of Illinois.
While U.S. agriculture remains stable overall, analysts warn that reduced planting or higher input costs in 2027 could tighten supply and put additional pressure on prices.
For Tennessee, where agriculture remains a key part of the economy, the impact could be felt both on farms and at the checkout line.
The Tennessee Volunteers were well represented when it came to the NFL Draft. They had multiple selections during the draft, and multiple players signed with a team following the draft, but one player had to compete for a roster spot during a mini camp, as he was invited to mini camp to make a name for himself.
That player is former Tennessee Vols running back Star Thomas, who left for the NFL after just one season with the Vols due to his loss of eligibility. Thomas was a split backup for the Vols, and he finished with 564 yards, as he was the No. 2 and No. 3 at different points throughout the season. The only running back he fell behind entirely was DeSean Bishop, who led the pack between Thomas, Peyton Lewis (who transferred to Virginia), and himself.
Tennessee Football RB Star Thomas Receives His NFL Fate After Tennessee Titans Camp
Thomas was invited to stay inside the state of Tennessee and compete with the Tennessee Titans in their mini camp for a chance to stay on the roster and be signed, but unfortunately enough for him, he didn’t receive a contract and will not sign with the Titans, as they are now moving on from him. While this can be viewed as shocking that he isn’t with an NFL team, it also makes sense as to why the Titans will not have him on the roster.
The Titans are already loaded at the RB position, as they have built a deep and reliable running back group. They will be starting with Tony Pollard in the lineup, but he will be backed up by Rookie Nick Singleton, Tyjae Spears, Michael Carter, Julius Chestnut, and Kalel Mullings. If they were to add a guy like Thomas, he would never find his way onto the field, and it would be holding the Titans back from adding a player to a position of need.
Thomas’s future in the NFL remains uncertain, as no teams have contacted him for a second chance, which leaves Thomas with very few options. He could be looking to find a new home elsewhere, or could be trying to get himself into a different league and be a star there. If the talented prospect is given a chance for a team that needs a running back, then things could be different, but it will depend on what the roster looks like and what type of player a team is looking to bring in.
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