Tennessee Titans edge rusher Arden Key Cooper Neill / GettyImages

Titans Relying on Committee Without Starting Pass Rusher

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Oct 11, 2025 5:00 PM ET

In the celebratory aftermath of their first win of the 2025 season, following a grueling 0-4 jump through the first month of competition, the Tennessee Titans have been unfortunately sobered ahead of their road matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders due to the absence of a key defensive piece in the form of edge rusher Arden Key.

Key, dealing with a quad issue, is one of the few Titans that have been ruled out for this weekend's duel among a sea of contributors oppositely returning from, or outright avoiding, injury designations. While not outright dominant, the EDGE has produced steadily on Tennessee's defensive line through five games up to this point in the season, notching two solo tackles and 1.5 sacks.

In the opening expected to be left by Key's missed time, head coach Brian Callahan expects to take a multi-player approach to compensate for the lost production. Namely, he expects Dre'Mont Jones, Jihad Ward and Femi Oladejo to rotate with one another to fill the majority of the team's EDGE needs, with fourth option Jaylen Harrell set to spell the trio on a need-be basis.

Through a positive lens, the Titans' defense is only set to miss two pieces from their usual unit against the Raiders - in addition to Key, the team will also be without cornerback Marcus Harris (calf) - inspiring, at least, a relative confidence in their ability to restrain what has been a subpar Las Vegas offense this season.

Last week, the Raiders failed to so much as score a touchdown in their 40-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on the road. Admittedly, the Colts are having an unusually-up year (the Titans also fell victim to their current run), but between a Titans win and LV's blowout loss, the former 1-4 appears to harbor the more momentum of the two.

In addition, the Raiders will be without franchise-defining tight end Brock Bowers, to boot.

Cam Ward and the Tennessee offense may have to shoulder a more serious role as the defense tries to nurse itself back in the coming weeks, too, providing the team with a solid opportunity to put the scoring playmakers under a microscope in their first year under a new (hopefully long-term) signal caller.

If the Titans want to capitalize and steal their second win, the time to do so is now, even if they'll have to make it happen without their primary defender at the EDGE position.

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

More must-reads: