Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan has been brought up as a possible cut candidate in 2022, but the former No. 11 overall pick is hoping that does not happen.
Lewan, who suffered a torn ACL in 2020 and was good but not great in his first season back, has two more years left on his current deal; however, the Titans could cut him for a reasonable $1.7 million dead-cap hit in order to free up nearly $13 million in cap space.
Obviously, such a decision would be a tough one for all involved, as Lewan has been one of the faces of the franchise since coming to Nashville.
During an interview with 3HL on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, Lewan acknowledged the hefty sum Tennessee can save by cutting him but he believes he will indeed be back in 2022.
“I can go and break everything down. I know that if I’m making 12 (million) this year, my dead cap is 1-7 or whatever it is; that’s a pretty beautiful chunk to take and save and all that,” Lewan said. “It really just depends what Jon (Robinson) really thinks I’m capable of doing.”
“They’re going to do what they think is best for the team,” Lewan continued. “I want to be a Titan, and I think I will be a Titan.”
When asked how hard it would be to play for another team, Lewan said he doesn’t know if he could, implying he would consider retirement instead.
“So hard, I don’t know if I would, that’s how hard I think it would be. I tell you what, man, a lot of people come into the NFL and want to make money and don’t care who they play for,” Lewan said. “This city means everything to m;, I love ’em, I love ’em to death.”
While cutting Lewan would save a lot of money for other moves, it would also create a gaping hole at arguably the most important position on the offensive line.
Lewan rightly points out that his 2022 cap hit, which is $14.6 million, is actually a reasonable price for a starting left tackle. That amount ranks 12th at the position in the NFL.
“To go back on the cap thing, when I signed my contract I was the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL. And now an average tackle in the league is making 16, 17, 18 million dollars a year. And so, I know it sounds kind of wild but in a weird, crazy, “Twilight Zone” sense, I’m not very expensive for the caliber of player I am, and the caliber of player I know I can be.”
In a recent article we did naming six potential cut candidates, Lewan was listed as one of them, but we predict he’ll stay and possibly restructure his contract.
