Cam Ward’s Backup Battle Heats Up. These 3 Titans Could Be Gone Before Week 1.

The Titans wrapped up mandatory minicamp on June 17, and now the real math starts. Roster cuts are coming, and for a few guys on the bubble, summer vacation might not last long. Tennessee has 53 spots to fill, and with a new coaching staff led by Robert Saleh, nobody’s job is safe just because of a contract or a name.

Let’s start with the most obvious name. Hendon Hooker came back to Tennessee this offseason, signing as a free agent after bouncing around the Lions, Panthers and Jets. The hometown story is nice. But the reality is grim. Hooker never beat out Jared Goff in Detroit. He landed on practice squads. And now he’s on a roster that suddenly has a clear QB1 in Cam Ward, a trusted veteran backup in Mitchell Trubisky, and a former starter in Will Levis who still has arm talent. Hooker might be fourth on that depth chart. Even if the Titans keep three quarterbacks — and that’s not guaranteed — Hooker’s injury history and lack of NFL production make him the odd man out.

Over in the backfield, Kalel Mullings is fighting an uphill battle. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears have the top two spots locked. Rookie Nicholas Singleton, a fifth-round pick from Penn State, brings raw potential and draft capital. Behind them, veteran Michael Carter had a strong minicamp and Julius Chestnut has special teams value. Mullings needs to do something dramatic in training camp to force the Titans to keep four running backs. Otherwise, he’s looking at a pink slip before September.

The offensive line isn’t settled either

Cordell Volson signed a one-year deal in Tennessee with the expectation that he’d start at right guard. But expectations change fast in a rebuild. The Titans have two younger guards waiting in the wings: second-year player Jackson Slater and rookie Pat Coogan. Both showed well during offseason workouts. If either one outplays Volson in camp, the coaching staff could easily go with the younger option. Volson has experience, sure. But experience doesn’t matter much when a team is thinking about 2027 and 2028.

Volson isn’t a lock to be cut, far from it. But he’s not a lock to make the roster either. That’s the whole point. Training camp will decide who plays right guard, and if Volson stumbles even a little, the door opens for someone younger to walk through.

None of these decisions are final yet. But the pressure is already building. For Hooker, Mullings and Volson, the next few weeks will determine whether they’re part of Tennessee’s new era or just a footnote in it.