Veteran Safety Placed on Injured Reserve

Jamal Carter can only return to the active roster this season if he is released with an injury settlement and later re-signed.

The Tennessee Titans knew they wanted to take a close look at safety Jamal Carter ahead of the 2022 NFL season.

Now, nearly four months before the schedule commences, it is possible that they have seen the last of him outside of the training room.

The Titans announced Monday that Carter was moved to injured reserve. No details about what ailment prompted the transaction were provided, but it is now possible that he won’t play or practice with Tennessee again this season.

Franchise officials also formally announced the veteran defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker and undrafted rookie cornerback Kenneth George. Both of those transactions had been reported in recent days.

Carter, who turned 28 last month, was one of 11 players who spent all or part of the 2021 season with the Titans who were signed to futures contracts days after the playoff loss to Cincinnati, which assured them a spot on the offseason roster once the new league year commenced.

Tennessee added Carter for the final two weeks of the 2021 preseason, cut him at the start of the regular season and later brought him back to the practice squad. He made one appearance as a standard elevation to the active roster (Week 5 at Jacksonville). He played exclusively on special teams in that contest and did not register a tackle.

For his career, he has played in 29 games for three franchises (Tennessee, Denver and Atlanta).

The only way Carter can return to Tennessee’s roster this season is if he is released at some point with an injury settlement and later re-signed. If no such agreement is reached, he will remain on injured reserve for the entire season or until he gets healthy, whichever comes first. If he gets healthy without a settlement, he will be released and will be free to sign with any team except the Titans.

If player goes on injured reserve during training camp, he is lost for the season.

Players who go on IR during the regular season can be designated for return, which cleaves open the possibility for them to return to the active roster. Running back Derrick Henry, wide receivers A.J. Brown and Julio Jones and linebacker Bud Dupree were among those who spent time on injured reserve last season but later played games.