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Titans Rule Rookie Out for Preseason Opener

The Tennessee Titans are reportedly expected to be without one of their draft picks in the preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
Zach Dimmitt|
Tennessee Titans fourth-round draft pick Cedric Gray works out during rookie minicamp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 10, 2024.
Tennessee Titans fourth-round draft pick Cedric Gray works out during rookie minicamp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 10, 2024. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are taking on the San Francisco 49ers at Nissan Stadium in the preseason opener Saturday night but one notable name is reportedly not in a position to play.

Per reports from ESPN's Turron Davenport, Titans fourth-round rookie linebacker Cedric Gray is "not expected to play" due to a shoulder injury.

The Titans selected Gray with the 106th overall pick this past April. The Charlotte, N.C. native played four years for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he did a little bit of everything for head coach Mack Brown. In his college career, Gray posted 367 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, 13 passes defended and five interceptions.

During his sophomore season in 2021, Gray had two interceptions of quarterback Tyler Van Dyke in a 45-42 win over Miami. He picked him off again last season as the Tar Heels took down the Hurricanes for the third year in a row.

According to the Titans team website, Gray "envisioned" himself playing receiver prior to college before switching to defense. This likely explains his natural nose for the ball, as five picks and six forced fumbles as a linebacker is nothing to scoff at.

Getting some early preseason reps is a major step for Gray, but he'll have to watch and learn for now. The Titans will host the Seattle Seahawks for their second of three preseason games on Saturday, Aug. 17, giving Gray time to rest up before potentially making his NFL debut.

Tennessee kicks off its regular season on Sunday, Sept. 8 against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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