NASHVILLE – The Titans will face the Saints in their final preseason game on Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Here are six things to look out for in the competition:
Starting quarterback Will Levis will return to play this week after sitting out the team’s second preseason game against the Seahawks. It will be his final warmup for the regular season. Levis completed 4 of 5 passes for 35 yards in Week 1 of the preseason against the 49ers and also ran for a score. Levis is expected to get a longer practice on Sunday, where he can work off the rust and build momentum for the regular season opener against the Bears.
Mason Rudolph and Malik Willis
Quarterbacks always get the spotlight, and that’s the case with backups Mason Rudolph and Malik Willis, both of whom are expected to play on Sunday as well. Coach Brian Callahan has not officially named the team’s second quarterback for the season, although all signs point to it being Rudolph, given his experience and strong performance in training camp. Willis hopes to convince the team that he deserves a spot on the roster.
The starting lineup appears to be set and looks like this: LT JC Latham, LG Peter Skoronski, C Lloyd Cushenberry, RG Dillon Radunz, RT Nicholas Petit-Frere. Radunz and NPF have not been officially named starters, but Callahan said that’s the trend. The Titans want to see the group continue to develop its chemistry to be ready for Week One, and they need to make sure the starting quarterback doesn’t take a major hit in the preseason.
The last time Titans fans saw punter Ryan Stonehouse in a game, he was led off the field after suffering a knee injury in a game against the Colts in December 2023. After surgery, a long rehab and recovery process, and then a few weeks of practice, Stonehouse is scheduled to return to the field for the first time this preseason on Sunday. It’s the final phase of Stonehouse’s return-to-play plan, and it will be great to see him hit bombs again.
In fact, we won’t really know what defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s defense will look like until the regular season. Jeffery Simmons, Harold Landry, L’Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie and Arden Key aren’t expected to play against the Saints. Additionally, Wilson won’t reveal how aggressive his unit will be until the regular season begins. But the hungry-looking unit was fun to watch in the preseason, and this will be another game that will set the tone.
Callahan said there are about four to six spots on the team’s 53-man roster up for grabs this week, suggesting some tough decisions are coming as roster cuts are looming. While most evaluations are complete based on what’s been seen in the offseason, 13 training camps and the first two preseason games, there’s still one more game to make an impression. Some of the Titans playing Sunday won’t make the 53-man roster, but their game records could help them get on another roster by this time next week.
