It was the NFL’s worst-kept secret but the Tennessee Titans are releasing longtime OT Taylor Lewan, a move that’ll stir up plenty of conversation in Pittsburgh.
Lewan’s podcast, Bussin’ With The Boys, tweeted the news a short time ago.
Lewan himself tweeted out a short statement following the news.
The Titans’ 1st round pick in 2014, 11th overall, Lewan has struggled to stay healthy over the past three seasons. In 2020, he appeared in only five games and his 2022 season was cut short two games in due to a knee injury.
For weeks, Lewan has said on his podcast and other media appearances that he fully expects the Titans to release him. Now, the move is happening.
UPDATE (2:43 PM):Â The Titans made the move with a failed physical designation.
In preparation for his next chapter, Lewan has casually talked about signing with the Steelers, appearing on Steelers-centric podcasts to discuss the possibility and his respect for Mike Tomlin. Coming out of the draft nearly a decade ago, Pittsburgh reportedly had plenty of interest in Lewan. But he’s about to turn 32, has dealt with a slew of injuries, and has even contemplated retiring. If he does continue to play, he admits he won’t come cheap.
On an episode of the Steel Here podcast, he said he wouldn’t sign a one-year deal for less than $10 million. Given his age, injury history, and the fact a one-year deal wouldn’t allow the Steelers to push money around, it’d be awfully difficult for Pittsburgh to sign him. He’d have to accept at least a two-year deal to give the Steelers room to push money into 2024.
Still, given the team’s arguable need to upgrade its front five, including at left tackle, and Lewan’s discussions about the Steelers already, his name will be talked about in connection to Pittsburgh for the next several weeks. Lewan will first have to make a decision on his future, retire or keep playing, and if it’s the latter, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of market he’ll have as a true free agent for the first time.
