Titans LB Competition Remains Unresolved

The Tennessee Titans are running out of time to figure out who will start next to Cody Barton at linebacker between Cedric Gray and James Williams Sr.

While Williams has been listed as the starter in the team's unofficial depth chart at the start of the preseason, Gray has been making strides in recent weeks. Gray drew the start for the Titans in the team's preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings.

While Gray had five tackles in the win, Williams made a massive play by picking off Vikings quarterback Brett Rypien.

James Williams INT pic.twitter.com/iUP5Juzp00
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) August 23, 2025

Rypien was taken down by Titans pass rushers and James Lynch ultimately got a piece of his arm as he threw, leading to the ball floating in the air, where Williams brought it down.

It was a massive play for the Titans because the Vikings were inside the red zone with a chance to score inside of the two-minute warning. Plays like that are things the coaching staff takes note of.

This gives the Titans a very complicated decision when they have to decide between starting Gray or Williams ahead of the team's Week 1 contest against the Denver Broncos. They know Barton will start against his former team, but they face a tough choice between Gray and Williams, both of whom have made strides during training camp.

Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray (51) during the Tennessee Titans training camp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. | Denny Simmons/The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Gray's inclusion in the starting lineup for the Titans is possibly the biggest clue when it comes to how the team feels about the two linebackers, but it's hard to ignore Williams' interception.

This is a very good problem for the Titans to have and it's possible that the team could still evaluate the pair even after the 53-man roster cutoff deadline on Tuesday. Both players will be on the roster, but this is now a matter of who gets the starting job and who takes a backseat role.

This could fluctuate throughout the season, so no decision made before Week 1 is completely concrete, but for either player to earn the starting job for the season opener would be a tremendous accomplishment.

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