Nobody Wanted Xavier Restrepo Cut — But Titans Will Benefit From the Move

After Xavier Restrepo survived the Tennessee Titans' initial 53-man roster cuts, fans were able to rejoice that the second-year receiver made the team. It didn't take long for that dream to come to a screeching hault, however.

As a part of today's follow-up waiver claims, the Titans cut Restrepo to make room for a handful of new additions. Restrepo wasn't the only cut casualty, but he was by far and away the most heartbreaking for fans that hadn't even stopped clapping for his achievement.

The move is especially searing following Restrepo's strong training camp and preseason that saw him win out over special teams expert Bryce Oliver for the WR6 spot. But if today's waiver additions taught us anything, it's that Robert Saleh is squarely focused on his defense.

The #Titans are waiving WR Xavier Restrepo, per source.

Feel-good story waits a little longer. The Titans kept Restrepo on the initial 53 yesterday, but waived him today after making new 4 additions.

Strong bet Restrepo lands back on the practice squad.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) August 31, 2026

That meant the unfortunate loss of Restrepo, but it isn't such a bad thing for the franchise as a whole. In fact, it makes plenty of sense for the trajectory of the Titans under Saleh.

Restrepo Being Cut Makes Sense for Titans

Don't get me wrong here, Restrepo was and still is a receiver with underrated potential. His four catches for 71 yards in Tennessee's preseason finale cemented the second-year playmaker as an undisputed winner of the summer.

Yet, he still posed as a fringe asset in Brian Daboll's offense. With proven, mainstay players at 1-5 in the WR room (save for Carnell Tate, who gets an inherent opportunity), Restrepo was never going to come into a high snap count naturally.

On top of that, Tennessee added five players today between waiver claims and signees - four of those guys are defensive additions. In the Titans' current rebuild, just about the only position that doesn't need any kind of addressing is WR, aside from QB.

The Secondary is a Clear Focus for Robert Saleh, Tennessee

The secondary, however, has stood out like a sore thumb for Tennessee this preseason. That point of emphasis was addressed today, with CB Melvin Smith Jr. and veteran S Terrell Burgess being brought in.

After Cor'Dale Flott came out stumbling this preseason, discussions about Tennessee's depth in that position group have been pushed to the forefront of the conversation. If the Titans were going to prioritize depth anywhere, it was always going to be the secondary.

In the midst of mass roster turnover like what we're seeing currently, that often means players like Restrepo are left out. Even if it's trading backups for backups, a backup in Tennessee's secondary is simply far more crucial to the team's bones right now than one in the receiving corps.

Besides, the Titans can still bring Restrepo back on the practice squad. At that point, who is to say we can't eventually have our cake and eat it too?

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