Second-Round Pick from 2015 Added to Defense
NASHVILLE – Derrek Tuszka made his Tennessee Titans debut Sunday. On Monday, he made his way out the door.
The Titans announced that they signed veteran defensive lineman Mario Edwards off the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad. To make room for him, they released Tuszka, an outside linebacker who was claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers following Harold Landry’s season-ending knee injury.
Edwards (6-foot-3, 280 pounds) was a second-round pick by the then-Oakland Raiders in 2015 and has played 86 games for four teams during his career. Most recently, he appeared in 12 contests for the Chicago Bears in 2021.
The 28-year-old was released by Chicago at the end of the preseason. The Jaguars added him to their practice squad several days later.
For his career, Edwards 16.5 sacks, 118 tackles, three forced fumbles and 19 tackles for loss. He set a career-high with four sacks for the Bears in 2020.
Tuszka got his opportunity to play after two weeks as an inactive because Bud Dupree and Ola Adeniyi were unavailable due to injuries on Sunday. The third-year veteran played 16 snaps on defense and 17 more on special teams in the 24-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. He was credited with two tackles on defense, but, according to Pro Football Focus, had the lowest grade of anyone on the defense at 33.9.
Tennessee currently has no openings on the practice squad. Therefore, if coaches and franchise officials want to continue to work with Tuszka, they will have to make room for him.
Of course, his former team, the Steelers, have injury issues of their own at inside linebacker and could get him back with a waiver claim. Tuszka appeared in 15 games for Pittsburgh last season.
