Terrance

Mitchell

He’ll miss at least the final three weeks of the regular season plus any wild card round game the Titans play in. Mitchell started five games for the Titans this year, defending four passes as he continues to bounce around the league as veteran depth. 31 in May, he’ll be a free agent after the season and will probably be depth somewhere yet again.

The Titans also ruled out defensive back Josh Thompson with a concussion. Tennesee entered the game without Kristian Fulton. These two injuries will leave the team dangerously thin in their secondary.

Mitchell was a presumed starter for New England until he struggled in training camp and was released in late August. He then landed on the team’s practice squad. Mitchell, a former seventh rounder, should find immediate playing time in Tennessee.

The Patriots are down bad in their attempts to replace J.C. Jackson at cornerback. Mitchell signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with New England after starting 13 games for Houston last season. He was at one point presumed to be the starter opposite Jalen Mills this summer. New England has now parted ways with both Mitchell and Malcolm Butler in the last week.

That’s Mitchell winning a battle over Malcolm Butler and Jack Jones, though all will likely play at some point this season. Mitchell had a 55.1 PFF coverage grade for the Texans in 2022 and certainly would appear to be a stopgap solution. Replacing J.C. Jackson remains a bit of a concern for New England’s D/ST.

The Texans released Mitchell prior to the start of the legal tampering period, and he will now join New England. The Patriots lost J.C. Jackson to the Chargers, so Mitchell could ultimately end up as a starter. Entering his age-30 season, Mitchell looks like a short-term solution in New England. It’s possible they prioritize a cornerback in the draft.

Mitchell’s release grants the Texans an extra $3.2 million against the cap this year. He signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract with Houston last offseason. Mitchell tallied 10 pass defenses, three forced fumbles, and one interception across 14 games in 2021. He will turn 30 years old before the start of the upcoming season.

Cornerback-to-safety-to-cornerback project Lonnie Johnson replaced Mitchell for some of Week 14’s action and will likely slot in as the starting cornerback for the Texans in Week 15 against the Jaguars. Brooks was already on IR.

Mitchell gets “up to” $7.5 million over those two seasons. He looked like a fringe starter in 2020, his lone year as a full-time player. Mitchell is nothing more than a short-term bandaid starter for the Texans’ suspect secondary. Last year, Houston ranked 30th in passing EPA despite having the 11th-best adjusted sack rate. New defensive coordinator Love Smith will be transitioning the defense from single-high to two-high this offseason.

Williams is struggling with a nerve issue in his injured shoulder, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Williams has yet to suit up for the Browns this season, with Terrance Mitchell playing in his place for much of the season’s first five weeks.