Trading Titans: 10 players who may have NFL trade deadline demand and how potential trades impact QB Cam Ward

Tuesday, Nov. 4th. That’s the trade deadline in the NFL this year, nestled in between Weeks 8 and 9. And the Tennessee Titans are one of the most talked about “sellers.” Of course they are, they’re awful. They were the first team to fire their coach, their owner is getting taken to the woodshed in the media, and their roster is all over the place in the worst ways.

But this idea that the Titans will be a fire sale team the next couple of weeks just doesn’t align with reality. They will not operate this way. That’s not to say they won’t be involved in hearing a lot of trade offers, and will probably even make some of them. But they won’t be massive sellers in the way many think they might be.

A big part of the reason is that, frankly, they have to field a team! This isn’t a roster with a lot of trimmable fat. They lack serviceable depth at most positions. And everything leadership on this team does is in service of Cam Ward, misguided or not. That includes firing Brian Callahan when they did. So every potential trade will boil down to this question: Is the return worth more than keeping the player from helping make Ward’s life easier?

In a lot of cases, I suspect the variables in that question will be “Day 3 pick” and “starter.” So only a select handful of positions with suitable options down the depth chart — particularly on defense, where it doesn’t affect Ward as directly — are ideal for trade consideration. With that being said, let’s dive into the top 10 most interesting trade chips the Titans have, ranked by likelihood to actually be moved:

Ranking the top 10 interesting Titans trade options

Not Jeffery Simmons!

Is this an honorable dismissal? A dishonorable mention? I’ve included Simmons at the top of this list to emphasize just how unlikely he is to be moved. He is easily the best player on this roster, as he is arguably the most disruptive interior defender in the entire league. Dennard Wilson’s defense would have less teeth by orders of magnitude if he were shipped away.

Could you get a first-round pick for him right now? I think you could. You’d certainly be raked over the coals publicly if you sold him for less. But this team would sooner forfeit the season than send Simmons packing. He remains a tentpole of the organization (at least until the end of the season and contract discussions creep into play), and he will remain a Titan past this year’s deadline.

10. Calvin Ridley, WR

Ridley will draw attention as the best receiving option on this roster, and as fitting the mold of an aging veteran who could be a finishing touch on a contending team. But did everybody see what the Titans’ passing game looked like in Vegas without him?

Ward needs this guy badly, at least until some of the younger players in that room establish a footing of consistency.

Ridley has an out on his contract after this season that we’re trending toward seeing the Titans use, so moving him if they got a decent offer would make sense if he’s firmly not in their plans. Still, it would be a significant disservice to Ward for the remainder of his rookie season. Add to this that Ridley is on the wrong side of 30 and dealing with a hamstring injury of unknown severity, and it’s hard to see an attractive offer being made for him.

9. T’Vondre Sweat, IDL

I do not consider T’Vondre Sweat to be a likely trade option. As Dennard Wilson said on Thursday this week, he’s one of their best 11 on that side of the ball, and they’re excited to have him back from IR.

But he does deserve to be on this list because the reality is that his firm standing with this team that he finished his rookie season with has eroded significantly since then. All the uncertainty that surrounded him in the pre-draft process has come back to mind for me lately, based on what I’ve seen and heard, and the team is hoping to see him get back in the mix quickly to take some steps forward.

His rookie season was a strong start and enough to make him valuable in theory for a team looking to bolster its interior. I’d lump him into a similar bucket as Jarvis Brownlee right now, with a key difference being the level of talent. And in the NFL, talent trumps everything.

That, combined with the fact that the offers on Sweat today wouldn’t sniff a top 40 draft pick (which they spent on him less than 18 months ago), makes it unlikely he’s moved.

8. Tony Pollard, RB

In the grand scheme of the NFL, Tony Pollard stands to be a desirable piece. Several teams vying to contend are expected to be in the running back market, such as the Chargers and Chiefs. And Pollard has been one of the only consistently productive players on this roster since the beginning of last season. He’s one of the most proven workhorse types on a bad team right now.

So, I expect the Titans to field plenty of Pollard calls this month. They’re likely to consider them, seeing as Pollard isn’t expected to be a part of this team’s plans after this year. They’re tentatively expecting to replace him in the 2026 draft. So what’s the rub? Ward.

Pollard’s production impacts the rookie QB more than almost anybody on this roster. Nothing helps keep the heat off a young passer like a viable run game. And if Pollard is gone, it’s Tyjae Spears or nothing right now. If you could promise Spears stays healthy the rest of the year, I’d feel a lot better about this. But you can’t, and that’s why I don’t think they’ll move him.

7. Kevin Zeitler, IOL

The Titans’ veteran guard has played well enough this year to garner some outside attention, and the decision to move him will come down to the replacement level of those behind him.

If rookie Jackson Slater, whom I expect to be tabbed to take over this job in 2026, is ready to get an early jump on the role, this could make sense. Will the juice be worth the squeeze? Is there a team desperate enough to shore up their interior OL that they’d send you a decent Day 3 pick?

And is Tennessee comfortable with Slater, or perhaps Blake Hance, taking over the important job of protecting Ward? If the answer to both questions is yes, this could happen.

T-6. Xavier Woods, Quandre Diggs, SAF

Put Woods and Diggs in whatever order that you’d like because the point is that the Titans have expendable depth at safety. Now, it’s not exactly the most valuable position, so I don’t see a team offering a very valuable Day 3 pick for either. But they’re both good enough to be replacement-level starters, and a team that feels it’s a safety away or simply has injury issues could come calling.

A big part of the reason the Titans would be inclined to entertain this is that, on top of adding future capital, it creates a clearer runway for rookie Kevin Winston Jr. to work into the rotation. His development in the back-half of this season is critical, and they will need to find a way to get him on the field one way or another. This would be a win-win.

T-4. Arden Key, Dre’Mont Jones, EDGE

Key and Jones at the EDGE position are a similar story to the safeties. This isn’t a position that has comfortable depth, though; they just aren’t doing enough through six weeks to make it feel that painful to sell one off.

Every year, it seems the most sought-after position at the deadline is EDGE. Contenders are always looking to add that cherry on top of their pass rush. Key and Jones are on expiring contracts, and getting something in return for them now would be smart.

The room’s injury situation is the most complicating factor at the moment, with Key and Jones missing time for injury and rookie Femi Oladejo on IR with a minor leg fracture.

2. Roger McCreary, CB

CB Roger McCreary is one of the likeliest players to be moved at the deadline for a couple of reasons. First, he’s a starting cornerback, and those don’t grow on trees. It’s a premium position that a handful of contenders will be shopping for.

And as honorable a career as he’s had in Tennessee, his rookie contract is up after this year, and I don’t think he’s a part of this front office’s plans. McCreary has always had length issues, which is something this front office (which didn’t draft him) is pretty strict about. McCreary is absolutely an exception to their preferences, and it’s why he’s a nickel corner.

I think this front office will weigh the options of signing McCreary to a serious contract vs. replacing him in the draft — which is easier when it comes to finding a slot player — and choose the latter. I co-wrote this potential trade idea for McCreary this week, check out how the Packers could help the Titans support Ward.

Moving McCreary in-season would also create a runway for rookie Marcus Harris to get on the field. The Titans liked him in the preseason and probably wouldn’t mind getting a better look at.

1. Chig Okonkwo, TE

TE Chig Okonkwo is one of the few skill players this team would be willing to move. He’s a starter who would bring a real YAC threat to a contending team looking for a fun outlet for their quarterback.

I don’t think you’d get more than a mid-Day 3 draft pick for him, but rookie Gunnar Helm is a player the front office wants to see more of this year. He and Okonkwo don’t always keep each other from being on the field since they often play different positions, but moving Okonkwo would make Helm the top option every weekend.

Okonkwo is on an expiring contract, and I don’t think he’s in this team’s plan for the future.