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Taylor Lewan

Former Titans LT Taylor Lewan Files Civil Suit Over 2020 Knee Surgery

May 7th, 2023 at 3:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

Taylor Lewan was, as expected, released by the Titans earlier this offseason. That left his playing future very much in doubt, in no small part due to the time the veteran left tackle has missed recently due to ACL injuries. The cause of that, as far as he is concerned, is now the subject of litigation.

[RELATED: Dolphins Reached Out To Lewan]

Lewan recently made clear his intention of filing a civil lawsuit connected to his 2020 ACL surgery during an appearance on the Bussin’ With the Boys Podcast (video link). Specifically, he is making allegations against “the people and entities that are involved with my surgery from October of 2020,” something which proved to be a turning point in his career.

The 31-year-old was limited to five games that year due to the ACL tear. He was able to return and suit up for 13 contests the following campaign, but later said a lingering knee issue never healed in full. He suffered another torn ACL in Week 2 of the 2022 season, making the team’s decision to part ways an easier one from a financial perspective.

Lewan has named renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews as one of several defendants in the suit, as noted by Buck Reising of A to Z Sports. Proof of a drop-off in his level of play when healthy, and, more significantly, availability owing to any mistakes made during surgery, would carry signficant legal ramifications though it likely wouldn’t go a long way in helping his chances of continuing his career. The three-time Pro Bowler previously indicated a willingness to return to Tennessee at a reduced rate.

“We cannot comment on individual patients or pending litigations,” a statement from the Andrews Institute of Orthopedic and Sports Medicine reads in response to the suit. Developments on this front will be separate from Lewan’s ability to continue his playing career, but they will be worth watching as more becomes known about his procedure and recovery process.

Dolphins Reached Out To OT Taylor Lewan

April 30th, 2023 at 8:26am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins reached out to free agent OT Taylor Lewan over a month ago, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). There have been no conversations between the two sides since that time.

Lewan, 32 in July, was released by the Titans earlier this year after nine seasons in Tennessee. He made three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2016-18 and maintained his usual high standard of play in 2019. Unfortunately, injuries began to take their toll thereafter.

Lewan suffered ACL tears in 2020 and 2022, and he said before his release that he was contemplating retirement. Shortly before this week’s draft, the blocker himself indicated that the Dolphins had “called” him (via Omar Kelly of SI.com), but as noted by Jackson, that communication was some time ago and appears to have been more exploratory in nature.

Nonetheless, assuming Lewan does want to continue his playing career, he could begin to receive more interest now that the draft is in the books and teams have a better idea of what their offensive lines will look like in 2023. For their part, the ‘Fins had just four selections in this year’s draft and used their seventh-round pick on Michigan OT Ryan Hayes. That will hardly preclude GM Chris Grier from continuing to look for veteran upgrades if he is so inclined.

Though Grier recently indicated that the team still views 2020 first-rounder Austin Jackson as its starting right tackle, Miami reportedly showed interest in free agent OT George Fant this offseason. And, given that he played just two games in 2022 and has generally underperformed relative to his draft status, Jackson is not exactly a sure thing at this point.

Lewan has never taken a snap at right tackle in his career, but with southpaw Tua Tagovailoa under center, the RT on the Dolphins’ line operates as the club’s blindside blocker. In light of Tagovailoa’s concussion concerns, that role is especially critical.

Last year’s free agent acquisition Terron Armstead earned Pro Bowl acclaim in his first year in South Beach and is entrenched as Miami’s left tackle.

Titans Release LT Taylor Lewan

February 22nd, 2023 at 10:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans are following through with their expected Taylor Lewan release. After nine seasons in Tennessee, the Pro Bowl left tackle announced (via his Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, on Twitter) he is set to be a free agent.

Although Lewan initially indicated a pay cut could be a path for him to stay with the Titans, it looks like the sides are parting ways. Lewan said he would consider retirement this offseason. It is not yet known if the three-time Pro Bowler plans to play a 10th season, but the Titans will create another need along their offensive line with Wednesday’s transaction.

[RELATED: Titans To Cut WR Robert Woods]

The prospect of that above-referenced return at a reduced rate remains under consideration, according to veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky (on Twitter), but the team has a few moving pieces up front at present. For now, this release will create significant cap savings.

No guarantees remained on Lewan’s contract; the release will shed $14.8MM from Tennessee’s payroll. While the 31-year-old blocker had been one of the game’s best left tackles, injuries have sidelined him for much of the past few seasons. Lewan has missed 30 games since the 2020 campaign.

Lewan signed a five-year, $80MM extension with the Titans back in 2018. He stood as the premier player on an O-line that helped Derrick Henry to the rushing title in 2019. Lewan was unable to play a significant role during Henry’s second rushing championship, tearing an ACL five games into the 2020 season, but he did re-emerge to assist the injury-battered Titans to the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021. Lingering knee trouble affected him that year, however, and another ACL tear sidelined the Michigan product in Week 2 of the 2022 season.

The Titans drafted Lewan 11th overall, selecting him during Ruston Webster’s GM tenure. Jon Robinson authorized the extension; new Tennessee GM Ran Carthon is signing off on the release. Although Lewan sits just outside the top 10 in franchise history for games started by an offensive lineman, his 100 starts are sixth in the Titans era. Only Michael Roos, Benji Olson, David Stewart, Ben Jones and Brad Hopkins have logged more starts with Tennessee among O-linemen. Lewan was the current Titans’ longest-tenured player.

Tennessee already has right guard Nate Davis on the cusp of free agency, and Jones is considering retirement after finishing the season on IR. The veteran center is signed through 2023, however. Tennessee cut Rodger Saffold last year and replaced him primarily with former UDFA Aaron Brewer, who can be retained as a restricted free agent. Nicholas Petit-Frere, a 2022 third-round pick, may be penciled in at right tackle, but Carthon and Co. will have plenty of work to do to assemble a line around him. Thanks to the Lewan and Woods moves, additional cap space will now be available to do so.

Titans’ Taylor Lewan Expects To Be Released; LT Open To Returning At Reduced Rate

February 10th, 2023 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ending the season with a backup-laden offensive line, the Titans are not expected to bring back their most accomplished blocker. At least, not at his current salary. Taylor Lewan said this week the Titans are prepared to release him.

The three-time Pro Bowl left tackle, who suffered ACL tears in 2020 and 2022, also said he is contemplating retirement. Even if the nine-year veteran opts to play in 2023, he will no longer be attached to the five-year, $80MM extension he signed back in July 2018.

“In the next couple of weeks, I will be cut by the Tennessee Titans – that will happen,” Lewan said, via Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. “I truly believe that in my heart of hearts. Then I have to go into a situation that I’ve never been in in my entire life: I have to weigh the pros and cons of playing football, or not playing football.”

Lewan’s contract has fallen to 11th among left tackles, but the $50MM in guarantees still rank as a top-five figure at the position. Although Lewan could collect a small sum (by NFL standards) via injury protection in the event of a release, his guarantees have run out. The Titans can save $14.8MM by cutting Lewan at any point this year. The team is $21MM-plus over the 2023 cap.

Tennessee has been unable to rely on its blindside bastion for a bit. Even as he finished the 2019 and ’21 seasons, the former first-round pick missed a combined eight games in those slates. Lewan, 31, said last year a knee issue from 2021 also never fully healed. The Michigan product was one of the game’s top left tackles during the latter part of the 2010s, however, and played an intermittent role in the Titans venturing to three straight playoff brackets from 2019-21.

The Titans also finished last season with center Ben Jones and guard Nate Davis on IR. Davis is set for free agency and projects as one of the top O-linemen available; a Davis defection could give Tennessee needs at both guard spots. Lewan, who said he has spoken with new GM Ran Carthon, did not rule out returning to the Titans after taking a pay cut. Though, his health will play a major role in determining if that path is viable.

“Obviously my contract is $14MM next year,” Lewan said. “If they come back and are like, ‘If you want to come back, this is the number we’ll bring you back at,’ I’m sure there will be somewhat of a conversation of, ‘How does your knee look? Are you interested in playing?‘

“Mike [Vrabel] and I have a fantastic relationship. Mike and I talk; we text; he makes fun of me and Will [Compton, Lewan’s podcast cohost] on a group chat on a consistent basis. It’s a great relationship. So, there will be a lot of transparency and he’ll tell me how he feels and what he thinks and if he thinks that’s a good thing for them, then there is absolutely a conversation to be had. If I was going to play another year, my preferred spot would be where I’ve been for the last nine years. I’m a loyal guy, and it would feel very uncomfortable for me to wear a different uniform.”

Titans OL Taylor Lewan Out For Season

September 24th, 2022 at 12:14pm CST by Ben Levine

Taylor Lewan‘s poor injury luck continues. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the Titans offensive lineman will be out for the season after suffering a knee injury. The news was first reported by Lewan’s podcast, Bussin’ With The Boys, on Twitter.

Lewan went down with a knee injury on the first play of Monday night’s loss to the Bills, but coach Mike Vrabel later suggested it would only be a short-term absence. Instead, it sounds like the Pro Bowl lineman will end up missing the rest of the campaign, making it the second time in three years that he’s appeared in fewer than five games.

The 31-year-old missed 11 games in 2020 thanks to an ACL tear, and he later underwent surgery. Lewan’s latest injury is to the same knee, and considering today’s development, this injury probably doesn’t bode well for the veteran’s ability to return to his Pro Bowl status.

The 2014 first-round pick has spent his entire career in Tennessee. After displaying some remarkable health through his first five seasons in the NFL, Lewan has seemingly been snake bitten in recent years. When the 2022 season concludes, Lewan would have missed 34 of the Titans’ 66 regular season games over the past four years.

Dennis Daley was forced into the lineup last week and ended up appearing in 98 percent of his team’s offensive snaps. The former sixth-round pick started 21 games across three seasons with the Panthers, so there’s a good chance he retains the gig through the year. The team will surely promote someone from the practice squad to provide depth behind Daley and rookie right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, with practice squad tackles Andrew Rupcich and Christian DiLauro candidates for promotion.

Titans To Be Without Taylor Lewan, Bud Dupree In Week 3

September 23rd, 2022 at 2:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Titans prepare for a matchup between 0-2 teams coming off playoff appearances, their Raiders tilt will not include Taylor Lewan or Bud Dupree. Tennessee ruled out both starters for Week 3.

Lewan’s absence is not especially surprising, but it certainly will sting a Titans offense that already moved on from two 2021 O-line starters — including veteran guard Rodger Saffold — this offseason. Lewan went down with a knee injury on the first play of Monday night’s loss to the Bills. Mike Vrabel said this week Dupree’s injury was not expected to keep him out in the long term, but the veteran pass rusher will miss at least one game.

The Lewan injury concerns a bit more due to it being the same knee on which he underwent surgery in 2020. Lewan missed 11 games in 2020 because of an ACL tear on his right knee. He returned for Week 1 of the 2021 season and played 13 games, but the 31-year-old blocker’s status may be up in the air for the near future.

While Vrabel offered a timetable for Dupree, he did not answer a question regarding Lewan’s timeline Friday. Lewan remains on Tennessee’s 53-man roster. The three-time Pro Bowl left tackle’s $16MM-per-year deal runs through 2023. Dennis Daley, whom the Titans acquired from the Panthers just before their roster cutdown to 53, is set to start at left tackle. Daley replaced Lewan on Monday and spent much of his 2019 rookie season as the Panthers’ blindside starter.

On its own, Dupree’s hip injury would not concern quite as much. But the Titans are without Harold Landry (ACL) for the season. Dupree, who joined Lewan in suffering an ACL tear in 2020, also battled back to start in Week 1 last year. But the ex-Steelers first-rounder missed six games in 2021 as well. The $16.5MM-per-year pass rusher will miss more time now.

Tennessee will also be without auxiliary pass rusher Ola Adeniyi, who started in Week 1 and came off the bench against the Bills. Despite their mounting injury issues at edge rusher, the Titans opted not to promote Takkarist McKinley from their practice squad this week. That led to the Rams poaching him.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/29/21

December 29th, 2021 at 3:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Several key players returned to practice Wednesday. Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Rico Bussey

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/24/21

December 24th, 2021 at 6:14pm CST by Ely Allen

We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed on or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Chuck Clark, C Trystan Colon
  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB Nate McCrary
  • Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB Chris Streveler

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Jordan Fuller, TE Tyler Higbee
  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Cole Williamson

Miami Dolphins

  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB Gerrid Doaks

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Travis Homer
  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Pier-Olivier Lestage

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Titans Place Rodger Saffold On COVID-19 List, Rule Out Taylor Lewan For Week 16

December 23rd, 2021 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

THURSDAY: Backup left tackle Kendall Lamm also revealed he tested positive (Twitter link via Buck Reising of WGFX), putting the Titans in a bind up front ahead of a matchup with the 49ers’ Nick Bosa-spearheaded defensive line.

WEDNESDAY: The Titans’ two most experienced offensive linemen will miss Thursday night’s game. Rodger Saffold landed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, while Tennessee also ruled out Taylor Lewan due to injury.

A 2019 free agent addition, Saffold has been the Titans’ left guard starter in 44 of a possible 47 games over the past three seasons. He practiced fully on Monday and Tuesday but will be scratched for Week 16.

Lewan is down because of a back injury. The Titans’ longtime left tackle did not practice this week. This will be the eighth-year blocker’s third absence this season. Lewan finished last season on IR, missing 11 games. Both blockers have made significant contributions to both Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill‘s success over the past three years.

Missing the left side of their O-line will certainly add to the Titans’ issues on offense. They have been without Henry, A.J. Brown and Julio Jones for most of the past month and change. However, Brown has a chance to come back to face the 49ers on Thursday; the Titans designated him for return from IR earlier this week. Jones, despite leaving another game early because of his recurring hamstring issue, does not have an injury designation and will suit up against San Francisco.

Titans Place Bud Dupree On PUP List, Caleb Farley On NFI List

July 24th, 2021 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans’ top two offseason acquisitions on defense came with injury tags, and each will begin the team’s training camp out of practice. Tennessee placed Bud Dupree on its active/PUP list and parked first-round pick Caleb Farley on its non-football injury list Saturday.

Both can be removed from these respective lists at any point during camp, and each designation was expected. Dupree is coming off a December ACL tear, while Farley missed Tennessee’s minicamp while recovering from offseason back surgery. Were Dupree to land on the Titans’ reserve/PUP list to start the regular season, he would miss the team’s first six games.

Dupree did not offer any clarity on his rehab timetable recently, and given the recovery time for ACL tears, it would not surprise if the ex-Steeler sack artist was held out of camp. Despite the injury and the pandemic-induced salary cap reduction, the Titans gave Dupree a five-year, $82.5MM deal that included $33.8MM fully guaranteed.

Farley has now undergone two back surgeries, with the second coming in March. The first-round cornerback initially encountered lower-back trouble while training ahead of Virginia Tech’s 2019 season, and after he excelled that fall to vault onto the first-round radar, the malady ended his second and final Hokies season early. Farley opted out of the 2020 season, but the Titans — as they did with Jeffery Simmons in 2019 — bet on talent and selected the standout defender 22nd overall. Farley received an NFI designation because his injury occurred before he entered the NFL.

In better Titans news, both A.J. Brown and Taylor Lewan avoided any injury-related designations heading into camp. Brown underwent surgery on both knees this offseason; Lewan is coming back from an ACL tear.

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