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USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
5 Tennessee Titans position battles to watch vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons will take the field on Friday night in Week 2 of the preseason, and with tensions already heightened after two joint practice sessions, it should be a competitive one. While many of the starters will again see limited action after head coach Brian Callahan announced he is following the same script used in the preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there will still be opportunities for players to define their roles. The decision to limit first-team reps and rest certain veterans, such as Kevin Zeitler and Jeffery Simmons, will give young players and some veterans a chance to work their way into roster contention. Depth is a major issue for the Titans, and entering the game, there were more questions than answers. Here's a look at five position battles to watch on Friday when the Titans take the field against the Falcons. Defensive line The battle for the reserve/rotational pieces along the defensive line should be front and center against the Falcons. With Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat already announced as out, and Sebastian Joseph-Day battling some soreness and being held out of practice on Wednesday, the reserves should receive plenty of opportunities against the Falcons. Timmy Horne appeared to take full advantage of his chance against the Buccaneers, and will look to stack solid performances, while James Lynch should get a chance to start in place of Simmons. But both young players will see plenty of action. Look for Cedric Watkins, Philip Blidi, Cam Horsley, Isaiah Raikes, and others to have plenty of chances to catch the eye of the coaching staff. Cornerback Like many positions on the roster, the starting cornerbacks are established. Jarvis Brownlee, Roger McCreary, and Darrell Baker are locked in, and L'Jarius Sneed will take over once he is healthy and can work his way back from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. However, behind those four, there is a heated battle going on. Gabe Jeudy-Lally had a shot to impress against the Bucs, but struggled and lost reps to rookie Marcus Harris during the week in joint practices. Harris is ascending and saw some first-team action during the week, and should get a shot early in the preseason game. Behind them, multiple young cornerbacks should see plenty of playing time against Atlanta and have a chance to work their way into contention. With Sneed's health still a major concern, finding quality depth behind the top three is imperative, and there will be plenty of opportunities to make an impact. Inside linebacker The battle at the top of the depth chart has stabilized with Cody Barton, James Williams, and Cedric Gray all being locked in. However, behind them, it is a complete unknown. The Titans made major changes to their linebacker room during the week, including parting ways with Otis Reese IV, who started camp in the mix battling for the starting role next to Barton. Tennessee brought in three new inside linebackers: Khaleke Hudson, Blake Lynch, and Brian Asamoah, to a position that struggled against the Buccaneers. With all these changes, it will be interesting to watch how these new players fit in and what type of impact they can make, especially on special teams. Return specialists No real headway was made to add clarity to the return game against the Buccaneers. James Proche flashed, but his effort was wiped out by a penalty, and Jha'Quan Jackson was unimpressive in his limited opportunities, keeping the door wide open in this battle. Rookie wideouts Chimere Dike, TJ Sheffield, and Xavier Restrepo, along with running back Julius Chestnut, will all have a chance to carve out a role this week and will need to take advantage of every rep. Running back Tony Pollard is entrenched as the starter, but now questions behind him have surfaced due to Tyjae Spears' ankle injury. Spears could be ready for Week 1 when the Titans travel to Denver, but there is a possibility this injury could linger into the regular season. Both Julius Chestnut and Kalel Mullings flashed against the Buccaneers and will have a shot to build upon those strong performances this week against the Falcons. Jordan Mims and Jermar Jefferson should also see increased reps in this game and have a chance to raise their stock.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Watch 49ers safety Malik Mustapha's impressive post-ACL recovery workout
Watch 49ers safety Malik Mustapha's impressive post-ACL recovery workout originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area The 49ers aim to be as healthy as possible during the 2025 NFL season, especially after crawling to an NFC West-worst 6-11 finish in their last campaign, largely due to overwhelming injuries. Advertisement That sentiment makes any updates on San Francisco safety Malik Mustapha's recovery from his right ACL tear loom even larger. Fortunately for the 49ers and their faithful, the 22-year-old appears to be ahead of schedule – or at least on a hopeful trajectory – based on a video he posted on Friday to Instagram. Mustapha appears to be confidently running and lifting weights, which is all San Francisco could ask for, considering it was Jan. 5 when he tore his right ACL in the 2024 regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals. When news broke of Mustapha's injury after the 2025 NFL Draft, most expected the safety to be a shoo-in for the league's Physically Unable to Perform List, which would prevent him from playing in San Francisco's first four regular-season games. The recent video might suggest that maybe Mustapha could return sooner rather than later during his second 49ers campaign. Advertisement San Francisco sure hopes that is the case. Mustapha played a vital role as a rookie in Nick Sorensen's 49ers defense and is primed to make an even bigger impact, when healthy, under new defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Over 12 starts in 2024, Mustapha recorded 72 tackles, five passes defensed and one interception. Mustapha should return to the 49ers timely and justly, given his work ethic and resilience. And the video he posted only strengthens that agenda. Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
