The Tennessee Titans are reportedly adding veteran cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. to their offseason roster. The move comes on the same day Tennessee made its first round of cuts.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Titans claimed Johnson off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs, who acquired him in a trade this offseason but unexpectedly cut the 26-year-old on Monday.
According to John Glennon of Sports Illustrated, the Titans are waiving defensive back Elijah Benton to make room for Johnson.
If the name sounds familiar, that’s probably because it is. Johnson is the latest in a long line of former Houston Texans to play in Nashville.
Johnson was originally a second-round pick of the Texans in 2019. Over three seasons in Houston, Johnson started in 19 of 44 games, totaling 172 combined tackles, three interceptions and 13 pass break-ups.
His best season came in 2021, when he permitted career-bests in completion rate (57.9%) and QB rating (76.6) allowed. Johnson also nabbed three picks and six pass break-ups.
Tennessee’s depth options in the secondary had their fair share of issues in preseason Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens’ backups, so it’s no surprise the team is exploring its options. Johnson has about as good a shot as any cornerback on the roster bubble to make the cut.
Prior to claiming Johnson, the Titans parted ways with five players in their first round of cuts, including running back Jordan Wilkins, defensive lineman Haskell Garrett, wide receiver Josh Malone, offensive lineman Carson Green and defensive back Deante Burton.
