RG Fernando Carmona Will Miss Multiple Weeks: What the Injury Means for Titans

Here's what the Titans' starting RG missing time will mean for Tennessee in the next couple of crucial weeks.

Sep 27, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Tennessee Titans guard Fernando Carmona Jr. (66) is helped off the field after an apparent injury during the first quarter against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It didn't take long for the injury bug to strike the Tennessee Titans this season. After a clean two weeks, yesterday's bout with the New York Giants saw starting RG carted off the field in the first quarter with an ankle injury.

Carmona was successfully spelled for the rest of the contest by backup Jackson Slater, who finished the game in spite of what head coach Robert Saleh called a "pretty significant" foot injury of his own. That news on Slater hit first today, and now, Jordan Schultz has an update on Carmona.

Per Schultz, Carmona suffered an ankle sprain and "will miss a few weeks." It's unclear exactly where Tennessee will look with both Carmona and Slater, but it's rare to find efficiency on the offensive line three players deep.

Sources: #Titans starting G Fernando Carmona, who was carted off on Sunday, suffered an ankle sprain vs the Giants and will miss a few weeks.

The 5th-round rookie out of Arkansas has started all 3 games this season. pic.twitter.com/YuZmRx50BN

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 28, 2026

At this point, it's about crossing fingers for Carmona to find his way back into the lineup sooner rather than later. The Titans' o-line has been a pleasant surprise this season, due in part to the fifth-round rookie's immediate efficiency upon being given the starting job.

One of Saleh's best draft stories has been put on temporary pause. Carmona came onto the scene as an expected reserve earlier in the summer and had one of the quickest rises of any player on the roster.

Carmona earned his spot after a fast-rising summer

Carmona was initially slotted behind veteran G Cordell Volson in the Titans' chain of command. However, it became clear in camp that Carmona was capable of much more than met the eye. His preseason performance sealed the deal that led to him starting in Week 1.

Through three weeks, PFF has Carmona hovering around the middle of the pack for eligible guards. He's graded all the way up at 23rd of 68 players league-wide when it comes to pass blocking. It's hard to ask much more out of a rookie.

If anyone looks like a potential candidate to replace Carmona until either he or Slater return, it's 25-year old G Atonio Mafi. That, however, is a mere guess based on the depth situation on Carmen Bricillo's line. Carmona being absent is bound to impact the unit negatively.

The line allowed zero sacks in Week 3's loss to the New York Giants, and prior to that, only five sacks through Weeks 1 and 2. Zach Lyons reported that the Titans' line ranked second in the entire NFL in pass blocking efficiency heading into today.

Cam Ward's current struggles would likely be exasperated by an offensive line that wasn't bordering on elite; in fact, we saw it last season, when Ward was sacked 55 times as a rookie. At worst, this injury means an already scrambled Ward is running for his life on the right side for the next few weeks.

In the best-case scenario, Mafi or someone similar will serve as a workable fill-in while the rest of the line holds down the fort. Either way, Tennessee couldn't lose a reliable competitor at a worse time.