Tennessee Titans linebacker Arden Key (49) is congratulated after sacking New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Titans Veteran Gets Honest on One Critical Offseason Loss

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Jared Koch | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Tennessee Titans will be entering the 2025 NFL season with one major change on their defensive front: long-time edge rusher Harold Landry will be out of the fold for the first time since he was drafted to the team in 2018, marking a brand new era on that side of the ball for the coming year.

For those remaining on the Titans' pass rush, like Arden Key, losing Landry may be a tough blow, but he'll be taking the opportunity in stride ahead of next season to be a leader to step up and get this defense right for 2025.

Key recently shared some of his thoughts surrounding his role on this Titans' defense in an interview with insider Jim Wyatt, along with feelings of how this Tennessee pass rush group is turning out for the season ahead.

"Harold [Landry] is not here, but we have to move on," Key said. "We have to make sure the room is right. We have a lot of rookies in our room, so a lot of technique areas we have to fix, and just getting them caught up in the NFL game of football. … The new guys are energetic, especially Femi. But these guys are hungry to come in and play, and they know they have to help us. It's a great group."

Without Landry, the Titans may have a few hurdles to overcome in replacing that production upfront, and especially so in a unit that ranked among the bottom three in the NFL for pressure and sacks across 2024.

However, Key's confidence has yet to waver. The Titans will have a few budding and rookie pieces in the mix worth taking note of who could be in line for a major role and/or breakout season of sorts amid Landry's departure –– one name to watch being the mentioned Femi Oladejo, Tennessee's second round pick from this past April.

The turnover into a new era of Titans football is slowly but surely coming to form for next season, and guys like Key look to be some of the primary leaders in helping to climb that ladder defensively and build this young core up.

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

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