Tennessee Titans edge rusher Arden Key Cooper Neill/GettyImages

Titans' Injured Defense Facing Major Challenge vs. Chargers

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Ahead of a four-game stand on their home field, the Tennessee Titans' outlook for the next month of football is about as positive at it could be for a 1-7 team that still hasn't managed to secure a win in their mostly middling division. At least, it appears that way, until you take a peek at the injury report and come to terms with the team's heavily debilitated situation.

Repeating the Wrong Kind of History

The Titans' hobbled state will likely underscore what could've otherwise been an extended opportunity to re-earn some good faith from their home crowd and, by the end of the season, could even relegate them to a similarly abysmal finish that saw them head into the tunnel for the final time at 3-14 overall. Throughout this past offseason, that felt like an "avoid by all means" reality; now, it feels both unavoidable and somehow not worst-case scenario, given everything that the franchise has endured since week 1.

With the Los Angeles Chargers set to visit Nissan Stadium next, carrying with them one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, the spotlight shines hotly on defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson's ball-stopping unit.

While they've been better than the offense this season, for the most part, an array of unfortunate injuries makes their date with the Chargers even more daunting than it already was in concept.

Bad Made Worse

On the team's missed practice report for their usual mid-week session, multiple defenders across the board were labeled as non-participants as the team ramps up for the weekend game. Names like edge rusher Arden Key, safety Xavier Woods and cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. stand out among offensive inactives as brutal losses for a Titans team that has been reeling for weeks on end.

With a good chunk of their defensive lineup missing, the Titans would naturally turn to a hopefully healthier offense to pick up the slack in chase of a win that, at this point, promises little more than pride to a team that has served as the butt of every power rankings list since the season began.

But in usual unfortunate news for Tennessee, they can't even do that. Veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley, whose absence as left a rookie receiver room and quarterback to fend for themselves, also missed the mid-week practice with his nagging hamstring injury.

The Titans simply can't catch a break anywhere on the field, and if none of these guys are ready to go by the weekend, fans may have to brace for yet another brutal loss.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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