Contract triggers, injury guarantees and free-agency plans explain the delay.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Titans have not yet made decisions on L’Jarius Sneed or Calvin Ridley, and contract triggers and injury considerations tied to the start of the new league year likely explain why.
Neither move costs the Titans additional money until March 16, when guarantees tied to the fifth day of the new league year come into play.
In Sneed’s case, his health may be central to the timing because part of his salary remains guaranteed if he is still injured.
He was lost for the second season in a row to a quad injury on Oct. 23, in a Week 7 loss to the Patriots. If that injury or his balky knee remain an issue, Spotrac lists $7.5 million of his salary as guaranteed for injury. That means if he is still hurt, the Titans are responsible for that money whether he’s on the roster or not.
If those issues are resolved, $7.5 million of his $15.15 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year -- March 16.
The Titans and Sneed may still be evaluating his health to resolve the financial issue. They'd like to be releasing a healthy Sneed before that date.
So long as that money does not guarantee, they save $13.43 against the cap by parting with him.
The team physician conducts the physical. If it's disputed, it can then go to a neutral doctor, and an arbiter goes with that result.
If Sneed is found healthy and can't find work in 2026, he might qualify for Injury Protection Benefit per the CBA. The Titans would owe him $2.1 million in that instance.
Ridley is coming back from a broken leg suffered against the Texans on Nov. 16, and he has a trigger on the same date, when he's due a $1 million bonus. He’s due a $20.24 million base salary with $3.02 million guaranteed.
The Titans may be trying to get him to take a lesser deal, a conversation that usually doesn’t go well. Often, a guy asked to reduce his salary will go take to market and take less elsewhere. He will turn 32 in December.
Teams generally try to do right by players, putting them in position to find new jobs as early as possible.
But in Ridley’s case, what Tennessee can do with outside receivers could easily have a bearing on his standing with the team. If the Titans hit the jackpot and land Alec Pierce, the big prize at the position, Ridley is more expendable. If they sign Romeo Doubs and Wan’Dale Robinson, the receiver room might be too crowded to also include Ridley and his contract.
If, however, they only land Robinson, who played 57 percent in the slot for the Giants last season, he wouldn’t have too much of a bearing on the receiver roster. The rest of the high-end free-agent money the Titans spend should be known in the first three days, so they will have a better handle on the need and fit for Ridley.
Maybe they make a move sooner, reveal a re-done contract or release him.
As for Sneed, I’ve not gotten one single indication since the moment he got hurt that they expected him here in 2026.
The Titans thought they were getting a premier, shut-down, cornerback when they traded a third 
rounder and swapped sevenths with the Chiefs in March 2024 for him.
Tennessee signed him to a four-year, $76.4 million deal with $51.5 million guaranteed. He's made over $43 million while giving them 12 games of inconsistent play, knee issues and quad injuries that landed him on IR both seasons.
He was also indicted in November for a Class A misdemeanor in Texas for the failure to report a felony, where a reasonable person would have believed serious bodily harm or death may have resulted
If Sneed is on the roster for a couple more days here, relax. In a worst-case scenario, it will cost them an additional $7.5 million to end things with him.
Players mentioned:
L’Jarius Sneed
Calvin Ridley
Alec Pierce
Romeo Doubs
Wan’Dale Robinson
