Titans Secondary Suffers Sudden Blow as S Nazeeh Johnson Gets 6-Game Suspension

The Tennessee Titans' secondary was already struggling, and now they'll have to go without safety Nazeeh Johnson after he was hit with a six-game suspension.

August 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jordan Watkins (17) is tackled by Tennessee Titans safety Nazeeh Johnson (36) and cornerback Derrick Canteen (42) during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Titans' secondary already looked out of step against the San Francisco 49ers' offense in the preseason-opening match between the two teams. Just one day later, and that unit has taken another hit. Titans safety Nazeeh Johnson is out of the picture for now, as Ian Rapoport reports he's been hit with a six-game suspension.

Johnson, who just signed with Tennessee in July, was on the field last night against the 49ers. He finished that contest with five total tackles in the win. Now he'll be forced to sit out of the Titans' first six regular season games without pay. Johnson reportedly violated the NFL's Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy.

Johnson won't be eligible to rejoin the team until Monday, Oct. 19. He may not have been expected to play a massive role for Tennessee's defense, but the loss of a veteran from arguably the Titans' weakest unit on the roster is difficult to spin.

#Titans DB Nazeeh Johnson is suspended for the club’s first six regular season games without pay for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy. The suspension will begin on August 30 and he will be eligible for reinstatement on Monday, October, 19.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 14, 2026

A depth piece is hard to come by at any position, and the Titans just lost one of those pieces less than one month after signing him.

The Titans Lose a Piece of Depth in Their Secondary

Johnson spent the last three seasons of his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he saw a role in the rotation wax and wane over time. His best effort came in 2024, when Johnson played in a career-high 16 games on the way to a Chiefs Super Bowl victory.

He leveled 56 tackles and a sack for Kansas City. That bright spot specifically likely played a part in Tennessee taking a flyer on him in the first place.

Now, with one man down for two months on the tail-end of a worrying preseason performance, Tennessee's secondary appears more desperate than ever for a positive turn of events. Without Johnson, they'll be gearing up for a second chance against the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 23.

Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Nazeeh Johnson (13) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tennessee's Defense Needs to Make the Most of Their Second Chance

It's a slight positive that the holes are starting to show in the preseason. That gives Robert Saleh and Gus Bradley time to try and fill those gaps ahead of the regular season.

But at the same time, this is a unit that the Titans heavily invested in during the offseason. Cordale Flott, who had a disappointing showing vs. San Francisco, inked a $45 million deal that positioned him as one of Tennessee's biggest pickups based on price alone. Alontae Taylor's contract surpassed that, bloating all the way up to $58 million over the same three-year period as Flott.

Is that money wasted or a group simply yet to settle in? It's impossible to know for sure at this juncture, but Johnson's suspension is a misstep for a group that's already falling behind.