Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports
Two Released from Active Roster
NASHVILLE – As the Tennessee Titans set their sights on next week’s winner-take-all AFC South showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars, they quickly began to adjust the roster.
Outside linebacker Sam Okuayinonu and cornerback John Reid were released Friday. Both played sparingly in Thursday’s 27-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at Nissan Stadium.
That opens a couple spots on the roster that need to be filled prior to the regular season finale. The Titans have the option to bring back one more player from injured reserve, and inside linebacker David Long now has spent the minimum required four weeks on that list, which makes him a candidate to return next week.
“Yeah, we better get to it here before too long,” coach Mike Vrabel said Friday. “I am hopeful that maybe (Long) does. He can try to see if he can help us through a week of practice.”
Okuayinonu was signed off the practice squad prior to that contest and played 13 snaps on defense with five more on special teams. He was credited with on tackle in his sixth appearance of the season.
This is the third time since the end of the preseason that the undrafted rookie out of Maryland has been released. After each of the first two, Okuayinonu immediately was brought back as a member of the practice squad.
For the season, he has 11 tackles, half a sack and one quarterback hit.
Reid joined the Titans as a free agent on Dec. 6, which was the last time Okuayinonu was released.
The third-year veteran who was a fourth-round pick by Houston in 2020 played extensively on defense in the loss to the L.A. Chargers on Dec. 18 and sparingly against the Cowboys as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars (Dec. 11).
Reid registered five tackles and one quarterback hit.
