Titans' Most Surprising Cuts and What They Mean Entering 2026 Season

The Tennessee Titans made a few surprising cuts during cutdown day on Sunday, and here's what they mean ahead of the regular season.

Aug 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Bryce Oliver (80) during warmup period against the Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Titans were active during roster cutdown day on Sunday, as head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Mike Borgonzi were tasked with trimming the roster down to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET.

With Tennessee having to cut ties with more than 40% of its summer team, there were some shocking cuts along the way. Entering the final week of August, the Titans had 91 players.

That said, let's take a look at the surprise moves from cutdown day and what it means for Tennessee as Week 1 approaches.

WR Bryce Oliver

Because of his special teams ability, many had Oliver making the 53-man roster. However, the 26-year-old was waived on Sunday, and though he could be back on the practice squad, Oliver's release opened a roster spot for a training camp darling.

Xavier Restrepo consistently made plays during camp and posted a productive game in the preseason finale against the Chicago Bears with four receptions and 71 yards. As a result, Restrepo has made the initial 53-man roster and beat out Oliver.

We'll see how much Restrepo plays on offense, but the 24-year-old will have a role on special teams and did enough in the summer to beat out Oliver, which wasn't seen as a major possibility a few months ago.

RB Michael Carter

Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, and rookie Nick Singleton were all viewed as roster locks ahead of camp. If Tennessee decided to keep a fourth running back, Carter was heavily discussed as the favorite for that spot.

However, the Titans decided to retain Julius Chestnut over Carter. Chestnut has been in Tennessee since 2022 and played more than 300 special teams snaps in 2025, posting a 76.5 Pro Football Focus grade.

Chestnut's special teams play likely gave him the edge over Carter, who got cut despite playing for Saleh with the New York Jets.

OL Cordell Volson

It's not too surprising that Volson got cut, as he had an underwhelming camp and preseason. But just last month, the veteran was viewed as the presumptive starting right guard.

Volson was completely outplayed by rookie Fernando Carmona and Jackson Slater throughout the summer. The Titans also opted to keep Garrett Dellinger over Volson.

Carmona, Tennessee's fifth-round pick in April, will be the No. 1 right guard when the Titans host the New York Jets in Week 1. On the other hand, Volson may still be looking for a job by then.