Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons made an early exit from Titans practice on Tuesday, but it wasn’t because of an injury.
Simmons was sent off by head coach Robert Saleh for throwing a punch at right tackle JC Latham. Simmons was wrapped up with center Austin Schlottman before throwing the punch and he was taken out of the fracas by assistant defensive line coach Tanzel Smart.
“Our policy is if you throw a punch you’re ejected in the game, same thing with practice,” Saleh said, via Teresa Walker of the Associated Press. “If you throw punch, you’re out of practice. But rather than going to the locker room, he went to the other field. He still got his work in. So the projected reps and the work that he would have gotten, he got in off to the side.”
Saleh said that he wants the Titans to “toe a line of being aggressive and call it instigating if you want.” Simmons crossed that line on Tuesday and the Titans were down a key player on their defense for the rest of the workout.
Titans Clips
Former NFL linebacker Jerry Wayne Hopkins has died at 85. His funeral was Monday in Hillsboro, Texas.
(Hopkins is on the left in the photo.)
He played center and linebacker at Texas A&M from 1960-62, earning first-team All-Southwest Conference honors in his final college season. Hopkins played in three college all-star games — Blue-Gray Game, the Southwest Challenge Bowl and the All-American Classic.
The Houston Oilers selected Hopkins in the fourth round of the AFL draft in 1963. He played four seasons for the Broncos, one for the Dolphins and one for the Raiders.
Hopkins had a team-leading eight sacks in 1964 with the Broncos.
After his retirement, Hopkins owned and operated Hopkins Oil Company.
He is survived by his wife, Joan Brooks Hopkins; his son, Jerry Hopkins, Jr. (Ali); his daughter, Allison Hopkins; his granddaughter, Parker Hopkins; and his sister, Judy Baker (Buddy).
The Cardinals claimed two players off waivers on Monday, according to the NFL’s personnel notice.
Running back Evan Hull and defensive tackle Cam Horsley now are Cardinals.
In corresponding moves, the Cardinals waived defensive tackle Coziah Izzard and wide receiver Tejhuan Palmer.
The Texans released Hull, who was a fifth-round pick of the Colts in 2023. He also has spent time with the Steelers and Saints.
In 2025, he appeared in six games for the Saints and rushed for 48 yards on 19 carries and caught one pass for 6 yards.
He has played eight career games.
Horsely signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2025 and appeared in one game as a rookie, playing 14 defensive snaps.
The Titans waived him Sunday.
Calvin Ridley took a pay cut to remain with the Titans this offseason, but it wasn’t because he thinks he’s lost the ability that made him an offensive threat in past seasons.
Ridley only played seven games before he fractured his fibula last season and he had 17 catches in those games, which had him on track for his least productive full season since entering the NFL. Ridley said over the weekend that neither those results nor the injury have left him questioning if he can keep pace.
“Hell yeah,” Ridley said, via the team’s website. "[I] can still beat all of them, still as fast as all of them. . . . If I stay healthy, I am going to be a good player on this team. I am going to contribute on this team.”
Ridley is the most experienced member of the Titans’ receiving corps and he explained why he’s been able to act as a mentor to younger teammates like Carnell Tate, Chimere Dike, and Elic Ayomanor.
“That’s because I used to kick ass,” Ridley said. “And I still can.”
The Titans would love to see Ridley get back to his old ways as they try to make a jump up the standings in quarterback Cam Ward’s second season.
The Titans have two new defensive tackles in camp.
The team announced the signings of Khalen Saunders and Laki Tasi on Sunday afternoon. They also confirmed the previously reported signing of defensive back Derrick Canteen.
Saunders played for the Jets and Jaguars in 2025. He had 12 tackles and a sack in nine games for the two AFC teams. The 2019 third-round pick has also played for the Chiefs and Saints.
Tasi grew up as a rugby player in Australia and spent time on the Raiders’ practice squad last season. He is exempt from the 90-man roster limit as an international player.
The Titans waived safety Hudson Clark, defensive lineman David Ebuka Agoha, and defensive lineman Cam Horsley in corresponding moves.
The Commanders announced a pair of roster moves on Sunday afternoon.
They have signed center Trey Hill to the active roster. Cornerback Tre Hawkins was waived in a corresponding move.
Hill was a Bengals sixth-round pick in 2021 and he remained with the team through the 2024 season. He spent time with the Packers and Bears last season, but did not appear in any games. He was also on the Titans’ roster for most of the offseason.
Hill appeared in 25 games for the Bengals and made three starts.
Hawkins played in one game for Washington last season and 20 games for the Giants over his first two NFL seasons.
The Titans have agreed to terms with defensive back Derrick Canteen, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports.
Earlier Sunday, the Titans announced the signing of cornerback Mario Goodrich, cutting defensive back Jeadyn Lukus in a corresponding move.
Canteen, 25, reunites with Robert Saleh on the Titans. The two were together in San Francisco last season.
The 49ers cut Canteen last week.
He played collegiately at Georgia Southern from 2019-22, Virginia Tech in 2023 and Cincinnati in 2025. Canteen signed with the 49ers after going undrafted last year.
He made the roster out of training camp but was cut a week later and re-signed to the practice squad.
Canteen, who did not see any regular-season action in 2025, signed a futures contract with the 49ers after the season.
The Titans shuffled up their secondary this weekend.
They announced the signing of cornerback Mario Goodrich to their active roster. Defensive back Jeadyn Lukus was waived to make room for Goodrich.
Goodrich spent the spring playing for Birmingham in the UFL and finished the season with 13 tackles and a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown. He also played for Birmingham in 2025 and appeared in four games for the Eagles during the 2023 season. He had five tackles during his time in Philly.
Lukas played at Clemson for the last four years and was undrafted in April.
The Titans do not practice on Sunday, so Goodrich will join them on the field for Monday’s practice.
Titans quarterback Will Levis is competing with Mitch Trubisky to be the backup to Cam Ward. But Levis thinks he should be a starter, somewhere.
“There are not 32 quarterbacks in this league better than me,” Levis said. “I know that for sure.”
Levis, the 2023 second-round pick who started 21 games in his first two seasons with the Titans but did not play at all last year, said he can take pride in what he’s already done and thinks he’ll get better.
“I have more confidence than I’ve ever had,” Levis said. “I know from the tape I’ve put on already that I’m a dang good quarterback in this league, even better than I ever have been.”
Levis said he is a more mature player now and less concerned about criticism or public perceptions of him.
“This is really Year Four, I’m a true vet at this point,” Levis said. “I’ve definitely grown a lot. I feel like I was a kid when I got here, now I’m a man.”
The Giants announced a couple of roster moves on Thursday afternoon.
They have signed linebacker Anfernee Orji to their 90-man roster. Defensive lineman Ben Barten has been waived in a corresponding move.
Orji signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and spent two seasons with the team. He moved on to the Titans last year, but missed the whole season after tearing his ACL in the preseason.
Orji had 30 tackles in 16 games for the Saints. He saw most of his playing time on special teams in New Orleans, but did make a pair of starts on defense.
Barten signed with the Giants after going undrafted out of Wisconsin this year.
