Brian Callahan Breaks Silence on Titans' DB Addition

The Tennessee Titans made a flurry of signings on both sides of the ball through their initial moves of free agency.

Among those signings was the decision to bring in former Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods on a two-year, $8 million, a veteran acquisition to factor into the back end of this Tennessee defensive unit, and someone who could have the chance to start as a day one impact player once the 2025 regular season rolls around.

It's a cheaper, low risk addition as the Titans attempt to strengthen their secondary further past last season, and it's a move that's also gotten the stamp of approval from second-year Tennessee head coach, Brian Callahan.

Callahan spoke about what Woods brings to the Titans' defense during a recent interview with team insider Jim Wyatt, ultimately noting his valuable consistency and leadership that stand out.

"He has been a steady, consistent player, and he has some veteran leadership, too, which is good. I liked what he did in Carolina last year," Callahan said. "We're just trying to add some depth in the safety room, and to get a guy like Xavier, who has started a lot of games and played a lot of football, it's great. He brings a wealth of experience on the back end."

Woods played and started in each of the Panthers' 17 games last season, collecting a career-high 119 total tackles, six passes defended, and three interceptions as a part of his third year in Carolina. Now, he joins a new situation in a Tennessee defense looking for an extra spark in their pass defense.

Woods projects to start next to Amani Hooker in the Titans' safety unit to hopefully facilitate a stable back-end to rely on across the 2024 campaign. After this team ranking second in the league's passing yards allowed, yet 30th in total points allowed, perhaps his implementation could be the spark needed to fill out the Tennessee secondary.

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