Titans spend more than $265M in 2026 free agency frenzy

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After finishing with a 3-14 record in each of the past two years, the Tennessee Titans have turned to a new page in more ways than one this offseason. The franchise announced a rebrand with new logos and jerseys on Thursday. The Titans have also done some serious roster churning in general manager Mike Borgonzi’s second season.

Tennessee has been a major spender early in free agency, committing nearly $270 million to player acquisitions since things kicked off a week ago. After the first six days, the money the Titans allocated to free agent acquisitions is second only to the Las Vegas Raiders ($281 million).

Major signings included defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers ($63 million), wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson ($70-plus million) and cornerback Alontae Taylor ($60 million), each of which addressed significant roster holes.

Many of the new acquisitions look good on paper but don’t guarantee success. Just see the results from the $228 million spending spree the Titans went on before the 2024 season.

At that time, Tennessee signed the top free agent center, Lloyd Cushenberry III, to a four-year, $50 million contract and added wide receiver Calvin Ridley via a four-year, $92 million contract. The Titans also invested in free agents Chidobe Awuzie, Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs in the secondary and inside linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. Tennessee also traded for cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and signed him to a lucrative contract.

Awuzie, Adams and Murray didn’t make it to a second season with the Titans, and two years later, Ridley is the only player remaining from the free agent haul — with Ridley agreeing to a restructured contract Saturday that will allow him to remain with the team for the 2026 season.

The Titans released Cushenberry with a failed physical designation in February, and Sneed was released last week after appearing in only 12 games over two seasons.

Five of the teams that have spent the most money in free agency have gone on to make the playoffs in the same year over the past 10 seasons. Only three of the teams that made the largest free agent investment made it to the conference championship the same year. That list includes the 2017 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2019 Green Bay Packers and 2025 New England Patriots.

Seven of the 15 new players acquired by the Patriots had previous ties to Mike Vrabel’s coaching staff that took over last season, five of whom played for the Titans at some point. New England’s $283 million free agency investment led the NFL, resulting in the Patriots becoming the only team to make a Super Bowl appearance after spending the most on free agents.

Tennessee hasn’t made a playoff appearance since 2021. The goal is for this year’s group to have a greater impact on turning things around for the struggling franchise. Borgonzi and new Titans head coach Robert Saleh are taking a similar approach to last year’s Patriots.

“I think some of it matters, but it’s not the only thing that matters,” Saleh said when asked about familiarity in free agents at the combine last month. “There’s relationships that were built in the draft, through the draft process. There’s relationships that were built just through time in the NFL for sure. Is it the only thing? It’s not.”

Through last weekend, 11 of Tennessee’s 14 free agent additions have crossed paths with Borgonzi, Saleh or offensive coordinator Brian Daboll in previous stops.

Tennessee acquired defensive tackle Solomon Thomas from the Dallas Cowboys in a swap of seventh-round picks in the 2026 draft. Saleh was the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator when they selected Thomas with the No. 3 pick in 2017.

The Titans are banking on Saleh to reset the Titans’ culture in a similar way to what Vrabel did with New England — from 3-14 in 2024 to 14-3.

“We wanted a leader for this football team that could build a winning culture and connect the entire building,” Borgonzi said during Saleh’s introductory news conference in January. ” A leader with a clear vision, plan and process for this team. That leader for us was Robert Saleh.”

Tennessee is pleased with where the roster is headed but clearly has more work to do. The Titans will continue to add lower-profile free agents — and they can always continue to trade — as they fill out the roster. Then they’ll turn their attention to the draft, where they have nine picks, including No. 4 overall.