The Tennessee Titans have a slew of free agents to make decisions on this offseason, but there are also some players who are under contract for 2024 that could become candidates for an extension at some point, either before or during the upcoming season.
While the Titans will re-sign some of those pending free agents, I wouldn’t exactly consider that an extension, thus none of the 27 players set to hit the open market in March will be included in this list.
With that in mind, here’s a look at five players who are under contract for 2024 that could be candidates for a contract extension at some point before they hit free agency in 2025.
P Ryan Stonehouse
Stonehouse is a no-brainer for the Titans to extend after posting a pair of elite seasons over his first two years in the NFL.
After breaking the single-season record for gross yards per punt in 2022, the former undrafted free agent was on pace to at least come close to it again in 2023 before suffering a season-ending injury.
Stonehouse not only displayed his monster leg once again, he also improved his punts inside the 20 percentage by nearly 20 points and had two fewer tries land in that range in five less games.
The biggest knock on Stonehouse’s record-breaking rookie season was his net yards per punt average. The Colorado State product improved there, as well, averaging nearly one more net yard per attempt (43.4 to 44.3).
The Titans don’t necessarily have to rush things with Stonehouse, as they’ll have control over him in 2025 as a restricted free agent. That said, I think he’s shown enough to be considered for an extension before it gets to that.
OL Dillon Radunz
It would have been unfathomable to see Radunz on a list like this going into last season after he had a brutal first two years of his career. However, the former second-round pick rebounded in 2023.
Radunz, who got off to a slow start after returning from a torn ACL, played everywhere but center last season but spent the majority of his time at right tackle, seeing 504 snaps at the position. In all, he gave up five sacks and 36 pressures, and he was a penalty machine with 11 in total.
But I’m more focused on his final five games, where Radunz surrendered just one sack and seven pressures at right tackle during that span, which makes him the in-house favorite to start at the position in 2024.
I certainly wouldn’t consider Radunz for an extension before the start of the season, but if he can land a starting job out of training camp at either right tackle or right guard and plays well, I could see Tennessee extending him prior to his hitting free agency in 2025.
OLB Arden Key
Key didn’t have quite the breakout season many hoped he would in 2023 but he was still a solid contributor to Tennessee’s pass-rush, with his six sacks and 40 pressures both being the second-most of his career.
Key is also a great locker room guy, as he brings a ton of energy and swag to the Titans’ defense.
If there’s one negative, it’s that Key will likely never be an every-down player, although he’s one hell of an option as a rotational pass-rusher.
It isn’t out of the question that Key posts the best year of his career in 2024, and if he accomplishes that feat, the Titans would be wise to lock him up before he hits the open market in 2025.
WR DeAndre Hopkins
Hopkins showed he has plenty left in the tank last season after posting 1,057 yards and seven scores. He could’ve had a monster season if he had more games with Will Levis and an offensive line that could actually block.
And speaking of Levis: Hopkins had a major impact on the young signal-caller, who otherwise would’ve had lackluster options to throw to. That in and of itself made Hopkins worth every penny.
If Hopkins helps Levis take that next step in 2024 and continues to show no signs of slowing down, a short-term extension for the veteran wideout to keep him out of the open market in 2025 would be a no-brainer.
RG Daniel Brunskill
Injury issues not withstanding, Brunskill was arguably the Titans’ most consistent offensive lineman in 2023 after giving up just two sacks and 26 pressures in 768 snaps at right guard. It’s absolutely fair to assume that Brunskill would have been even better if he wasn’t playing hurt.
I could definitely see Brunskill being a starting option on the inside (right guard or center) in 2024, and if he can stay healthy and play at a high level, a short-term extension would be on the table for the 30-year-old.
