The Titans will exercise the fifth-year option on the contract of left guard Peter Skoronski, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
The team has until May 1 to formally pick up the option.
Tennessee selected Skoronski 11th overall in 2023, and he signed a four-year, $19.67 million contract, which included an $11.3 million signing bonus. The option will extend his contract through 2027, paying him a fully guaranteed $19.07 million for 2027.
Titans General Manager Mike Borgonzi said at the Scouting Combine that the team’s goal is to sign Skoronski to a long-term deal.
Skoronski started 14 games as a rookie and all 17 games in each of the past two seasons.
Titans Clips
The NFL has announced the names of the current and former players that will take part in next week’s draft by announcing second-round picks.
The list includes players associated with all 32 teams, including Cardinals running back James Conner. Conner has strong ties to the Pittsburgh area after playing for the Steelers and attending Pitt, which likely made him an easy choice as the Cardinals’ representative.
Former Bears tackle Jimbo Covert, former Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, former Chiefs defensive lineman Bill Maas, current Vikings tackle Brian O’Neill, former Jets running back Curtis Martin, and former 49ers punter Andy Lee are other Pitt alums who are set to take part.
The hometown team will be represented by four players. Former Steelers Jerome Bettis and John Stallworth will be joined by Joey Porter Sr. and Jr. next Friday.
The other players taking part and their team affiliations appear below:
Falcons: Michael Turner
Ravens: Mark Ingram
Bills: Shane Conlan
Panthers: Jake Delhomme
Bengals: Ken Anderson
Browns: Phil Dawson
Cowboys: Drew Pearson
Broncos: T.J. Ward
Lions: Calvin Johnson
Packers: John Kuhn
Texans: Billy Miller
Colts: Pat McAfee
Jaguars: Paul Posluszny
Raiders: Matt Millen
Chargers: Shawne Merriman
Rams: Tavon Austin
Dolphins: Dwight Stephenson
Patriots: Deion Branch
Saints: Marques Colston
Giants: Osi Umenyiora
Eagles: Brian Westbrook
Seahawks: Cliff Avril
Buccaneers: Ronde Barber
Titans: Jeffery Simmons
Commanders: Mark Rypien
Titans quarterback Cam Ward is making progress in recovering from the shoulder injury he suffered in the last game of last season, and he should be able to participate in the team’s June minicamp.
Titans General Manager Mike Borgonzi said Ward is throwing the ball well and all indications are that his rehab is on schedule.
“He’s been out there,” Borgonzi said, via Turron Davenport of ESPN. “I’m sure you’ve seen the videos of him throwing. He looks good.”
The Titans have a new head coach in Robert Saleh, new offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll and new quarterbacks coach in Shea Tierney. They’ll be eager to get to work on the field with a healthy Ward, and that should happen in June.
Titans General Manager Mike Borgonzi didn’t entertain any trade offers before selecting quarterback Cam Ward first overall in 2025, but he’s taking a different approach to this year’s draft.
The Titans have the No. 4 pick this time around and that creates uncertainty about who will be available as well as whether the Titans would benefit from moving down the order. At a press conference on Thursday, Borgonzi said that the Titans are fond of a “cluster” of players who could be on the board when it is their turn to pick and having those “really good options” means they are open to adding assets while waiting to make their first selection.
“We’re gonna remain flexible and fluid because I do think there’s a handful of players we really do like,” Borgonzi said.
Borgonzi called running back Jeremiyah Love a “special player” when asked if he’ll be under consideration at No. 4 and said that he’s “always looking to support” Ward, but also cited the presence of several “really good” options at edge rusher. That leaves the team with a lot of possible paths to take early in next Thursday’s first round.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman says Jeremiyah Love isn’t only the best running back in the 2026 NFL draft, but also one of the most talented football players anywhere.
Freeman told Colin Cowherd that Notre Dame’s backup running back last year, Jadarian Price, is the best running back prospect in this draft aside from Love, whom Freeman views as a prospect who transcends the position he plays.
“Great players like Jeremiyah Love make coaches look really good,” Freeman said. “He is a unicorn. He is as talented and gifted an athlete as I’ve ever been around. I think he could be an elite wide receiver. He could be an elite DB. He’s just gifted with a unique skill set, the balance, the ability to jump over you, the ability to run through you. Some of his most impressive runs aren’t the ones you’re going to see on TV. They’re the ones you see on film that he made a four-yard gain that should have been a two-yard loss. . . . Jeremiyah Love might be as good as any player I’ve ever been around.”
Love is expected to be the first running back drafted in the Top 5 since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 overall in 2018.
Former NFL head coach Dave McGinnis died Monday, the Titans announced. “Coach Mac,” as he was affectionately known, was 74.
“My heart aches with the loss of Coach Mac, who was so much more than a coach and broadcaster. He was family,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. “Coach Mac gave so much of himself to this organization over the years, and his passion, loyalty, and love for the Titans never wavered. He cared deeply about the people around him, and that kindness and authenticity left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him. He held a very special place in our family, and his presence in our lives and within this franchise will never be forgotten. We will miss him dearly, and we will always be grateful for the legacy he leaves behind.”
McGinnis served as head coach of the Cardinals, beginning as interim coach in 2000 and keeping the job through the 2003 season. He went 17-40.
“We were deeply saddened to learn of Dave McGinnis’ passing and extend our heartfelt condolences to all who knew and loved him,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement. “As Dave often said, he was a ‘ball coach’ through and through, and no one ever filled that role with more passion, enthusiasm, and charisma.
“Coach Mac truly loved the game and everything -- and everyone -- associated with it, especially his players. He was one of a kind and will be greatly missed.”
McGinnis began his NFL coaching career as the linebackers coach of the Bears (1986-95) before becoming the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator (1996-2000). He went to the Titans as linebackers coach after the Cardinals fired him and was there from 2004-11 before following Jeff Fisher to the Rams, where McGinnis served as assistant head coach (2012-16).
McGinnis most recently worked for the Titans Radio Network.
With quarterback Fernando Mendoza the heavy favorite to be selected at No. 1 overall for some time, the intrigue in this year’s draft really starts at No. 2.
The Jets hold that pick with the Cardinals at No. 3, the Titans at No. 4, and the Giants at No. 5 to round out the first five selections.
One player who is likely under consideration from No. 2 to No. 5 is edge rusher David Bailey, who had a pre-draft visit with Tennessee last week.
Bailey, who played his last year of college ball at Texas Tech, recorded 14.5 sacks with 19.5 tackles for loss in 2025.
He previously played three years at Stanford. In 46 total collegiate games, Bailey recorded 29.0 sacks with 42.0 tackles for loss.
Chris Payton-Jones, a former cornerback in the NFL and UFL, has died. He was 30.
Via Justin Barney of News4Jax, Payton-Jones was involved in a car accident on Saturday night.
Undrafted out of Nebraska in 2018, Payton-Jones played for the Cardinals, Lions, Vikings, and Titans. He appeared in 29 regular-season games, with six starts.
He played for the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL in 2023. He then played for the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks in 2024 and 2025.
“Chris was a beloved teammate and leader in the locker room, who demonstrated the importance of hard work, determination, and resilience throughout his career,” the UFL said in a statement. “As importantly, Chris was always a bright soul who everyone throughout the league enjoyed spending time with off-the-field during his three-year tenure.”
Payton-Jones had retired from football in January.
We extend our condolences to his family, friends, teammates, and coaches.
Shane Bowen is reuniting with Mike Vrabel.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Bowen is joining New England’s coaching staff as a defensive analyst.
Bowen, 39, previously worked with Vrabel on the Texans and Titans. He served as Vrabel’s defensive coordinator from 2021-2023 with Tennessee.
Bowen then spent the last two seasons as the Giants’ defensive coordinator. He was fired in November as New York reshaped its coaching staff multiple times during the season.
The Buccaneers have agreed to terms with a pair of cornerbacks on one-year deals.
Kemon Hall is signing with the Buccaneers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports, and Chase Lucas is also joining the team, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports.
Hall, 28, spent last season with the Titans.
After being reinstated from an NFL suspension, Hall went back and forth between the active roster and the practice squad. He played 66 defensive snaps and 70 on special teams in four games and totaled nine tackles and a forced fumble.
Hall entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Chargers in 2019. He has also spent time with the Vikings, Saints, Cowboys, Chargers and 49ers.
In 28 games, Hall has recorded 24 tackles, one forced fumble and one recovered fumble.
Lucas, 29, was with the 49ers last season and played 98 defensive snaps and 204 on special teams in 15 games.
The Lions made him a seventh-round pick in 2022, and he has 15 tackles and a pass defensed in 33 career games.
