The Tennessee Titans found a kicker Tuesday, just hours before the deadline to trim their roster to 53 players. Tennessee acquired veteran kicker Nick Folk from the New England Patriots for a reported 2025 seventh-round pick.
Folk, 38, lost out to rookie Chad Ryland in the Patriots’ camp competition, but should be a welcome sight in Tennessee, where the Titans struggled through camp with Caleb Shudak, Trey Wolff and Michael Badgley all failing to lay claim to the job.
Folk connected on 32-of-37 kicks a year ago, and is set to count $1.69 million in base salary this season plus a $510,000 roster bonus, according to the contract site Spotrac.com. He is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the upcoming season.
In addition to adding Folk, the Titans also made a number of moves to get to 53 players, cutting 28 on Tuesday, along with nine other players who had been let go on Sunday and Monday.
The Titans kept five undrafted rookies on the roster, plus their entire six-man draft class from 2023. The undrafteds on the initial 53 include Hillsboro High standout Matt Jackson, a safety. They also kept defensive back Anthony Kendall as an undrafted rookie, along with inside linebacker Otis Reese, receiver Kearis Jackson and outside linebacker Caleb Murphy. The draft class is comprised of guard Peter Skoronski, quarterback Will Levis, running back Tyjae Spears, tight end Josh Whyle, tackle Jaelyn Duncan and receiver Colton Dowell, who played high school football locally as well at Wilson Central.
The Titans kept all three quarterbacks after Malik Willis had a solid preseason. They went light at running back and tight end, keeping just three players each there and heavy at offensive line with 10 among the initial 53.
Among the Titans more notable cuts on Tuesday were linebacker Chance Campbell, a 2022 sixth-round draft pick and receiver Racey McMath, who was a sixth-rounder in 2021 and tight end Kevin Rader, who had been one of their primary blocking tight ends and a core special teams player last year.
Some players who had strong preseasons but did not make the final cut included tight end Thomas Odukoya, cornerbacks Eric Garror and Armani Marsh, defensive linemen Kyle Peko and Michael Dwumfour and receivers TreShaun Harrison and Reggie Roberson.
Others let go included DB Shyheim Carter, DT Trevon Coley, DL Jaleel Johnson, CB Steven Jones, S Tyreque Jones, WR Mason Kinsey, OL John Leglue, DL T.K. McLendon, LB Ben Niemann, T John Ojukwu, OLB Sam Okuayinonu, RB Jacques Patrick, G Jordan Roos, NT Tyler Shelvin and OLB Thomas Rush.
Cornerback Caleb Farley, still recovering from back surgery, will start the year on the physically unable to perform list.
Running back Hassan Haskins, already on injured reserve, was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list for his role in a domestic assault incident earlier this summer. The move means Haskins is not allowed to attend games or practices while on the list.
Tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere joins the suspended list for six games for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
Tennessee isn’t finished making roster moves, as the Titans will now sift through the cuts of other clubs to find any players to upgrade their roster. The Titans also will form their practice squad, which will be made up largely of players in camp who did not make the initial 53-man roster to start the season.
