The Tennessee Titans will play real football (well, sort of) on Saturday night when they open up their preseason in Nashville against the reigning NFC champions, the San Francisco 49ers.
When it comes to playing their starters, Titans head coach Brian Callahan indicated last month that he would, which makes sense considering Tennessee has so many new faces and is installing a new offense and defense.
"Our team needs to play together," he said, per Nick Suss of The Tennessean. "They need to play football together. We need to operate on offense. We need to operate on defense. We’ve got a lot of new faces and new people here. That’s an important part of the preseason for me, so our starters will play."
While we'll certainly have our eye on the starters, there are also notable players fighting for roster spots and depth roles. Here's a look at six players in particular who need to have a standout showing on Saturday night.
Titans who need to shine
QB Malik Willis
Willis is losing to Mason Rudolph in the backup quarterback competition, but it's not for a lack of trying. The Liberty has routinely been a standout during the summer and is showing progress as he enters his third season in the NFL.
It's probably too late for Willis to grab the backup job, but a strong showing in the preseason could force the Titans to keep another quarterback. At the very least, he is auditioning for other teams that might be interested in him if the Titans don't keep him.
WR Treylon Burks
After two lackluster seasons to start his career, Burks is facing a make-or-break year in 2024. The problem is that he's going to have a hard time seeing snaps, as he's no better than fourth on the wide receiver depth chart behind DeAndre Hopkins, Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley.
If Burks wants to force his way on the field this coming season, he's going to have to earn it. He can begin that process in a big way by showing out during the preseason and proving he's worthy of playing time.
He also needs to instill confidence that he can cover for Hopkins if he misses any time at the start of the season with his injury.
WR Kyle Philips
Philips has become the forgotten man entering his third season after the significant additions the Titans made at wide receiver, and especially in the slot with the signing of Boyd.
As a result, Philips' spot on this roster is anything but guaranteed. However, he has been a standout at training camp practice, which has no doubt helped his cause. He can make even more headway with a standout performance on Saturday night.
RG Dillon Radunz
With Saahdiq Charles hanging up his cleats, Radunz now becomes the favorite to start at right guard. But he still has Daniel Brunskill and Andrew Rupcich lurking. Radunz can solidify himself in the starting role over the next few weeks.
LB Cedric Gray
By all accounts, Jack Gibbens looks set to grab the starting role alongside Kenneth Murray. If Gray wants to make inroads to pulling off an upset at this stage, he's got to make his presence felt against the Niners.
CB Caleb Farley
UPDATE: Head coach Brian Callahan revealed on Thursday that Farley will miss a few weeks with a hamstring injury. This is obviously devastating news for the embattled cornerback, who desperately needed to shine in the preseason.
Caleb Farley will miss “a few weeks” with a hamstring injury, per #Titans HC Brian Callahan.
— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) August 8, 2024
Farley has shown flashes during training camp, but he's still got work to do and is no higher than fifth on the depth chart in terms of boundary corners, which means his roster spot is not secure.
Now, injuries have creeped up, as he's left practice early twice recently. It remains to be seen if he'll even play, but if so he's got to step up big time.
