Titans Lead the League in Injured Reserve

NASHVILLE – When the Tennessee Titans placed edge rusher Ola Adeniyi (neck) on injured reserve on Monday, it gave them an unofficial NFL lead in that undesirable category.

Adeniyi’s addition meant the Titans currently have 12 players on IR, which is one more than both the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, per the contract website Spotrac.

The Philadelphia Eagles have the fewest players on IR (three), followed by the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars, each with four. Perhaps coincidentally, the Eagles are the NFL's only undefeated team (6-0).

Placing large amounts of players on injured reserve isn’t new to the Titans, who used an NFL-record 91 players during the 2021 season.

But an NFL rule change for 2022 might complicate injured-reserve moves as the season progresses.

In 2020 and 2021, NFL teams were permitted an unlimited number of players to return from injured reserve, as long as those players missed at least three games.

That rule, put in place to help teams deal with players sidelined by COVID-19, proved a huge benefit to Tennessee in its injury-plagued 2021 season. They brought 18 players back from injured reserve, a list that included wide receiver A.J. Brown, outside linebacker Bud Dupree, safety Amani Hooker, wide receiver Julio Jones, cornerback Kristian Fulton and inside linebacker Jayon Brown among many others.

This year, however, NFL teams will be permitted to bring back only eight from injured reserve and/or the reserve/non-football injury/illness list, following an absence of at least four games. A player can return from IR a maximum of twice per season, but each time counts against the team's allotted eight designations.

The Titans haven’t returned any players from injured reserve yet this season (linebacker Monty Rice returned from the reserve/physically unable to perform list), but that will obviously change in weeks to come.

If the Titans keep placing players on IR at the pace they have so far, it might result in some interesting decisions. As it is, not every player currently on the list will be back.

Franchise officials need to prioritize which players get activated from IR – or they may be less likely to place players on IR, if there’s any chance whatsoever they could miss fewer than four games.

It’s a long way from any such situation now, granted, but worth watching. Here’s a look at the Titans players currently on injured reserve:

OLA ADENIYI

• Position: outside linebacker

• Status: Went on injured reserve Monday with a neck injury. The earliest he could return would be Nov. 17 at Green Bay.

TREYLON BURKS

• Position: Wide receiver

• Status: Went on injured reserve Oct. 8 with a toe injury. The earliest he could return would be Nov. 13 vs. Denver.

CHANCE CAMPBELL

• Position: Linebacker

• Status: Went on injured reserve Sept. 9 with a knee injury. He’s eligible to return at any point, but has not resumed practicing.

TRENTON CANNON

• Position: Running back/kickoff returner

Status: Went on injured reserve Sept. 21 with a knee injury. He’s expected to miss the rest of the season.

DA'SHAWN HAND

• Position: Defensive lineman

• Status: Went on injured reserve Sept. 13 with a quad injury. He’s expected to miss the rest of the season.

CHRIS JACKSON

• Position: Cornerback

• Status: Went on injured reserve Sept. 21 with an undisclosed injury. The earliest he could return would be Oct. 30 at Houston.

JAMARCO JONES

• Position: Guard

• Status: Went on injured reserve Sept. 22 with a triceps injury. The earliest he could return would be Oct. 30 at Houston.

HAROLD LANDRY

• Position: Outside linebacker

• Status: Went on injured reserve Sept. 2 with a knee injury. He’s expected to miss the rest of the season.

TAYLOR LEWAN

• Position: Left tackle

• Status: Went on injured reserve Sept. 24 with a knee injury. He’s expected to miss the rest of the season.

RACEY McMATH

• Position: Wide receiver

• Status: Went on injured reserve Aug. 31 with a hip injury. He’s eligible to return at any point, but has not resumed practicing. Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Monday the team could “potentially” get McMath back at some point this season.

ELIJAH MOLDEN

• Position: Cornerback

• Status: Went on injured reserve Sept. 9 with a groin injury. He’s eligible to return at any point, but has not resumed practicing. Molden was spotted in the Titans locker room for the first time in a while on Monday, and indicated he was getting closer to a return.

A.J. MOORE

• Position: Defensive back

• Status: Went on injured reserve Sept. 13 with an ankle injury. He’s expected to miss the rest of the season.