This afternoon, local Nashville beat writer Paul Kuharsky reported that center Lloyd Cushenberry injured his Achilles and will be out for a period of time. When the injury occurred, the team quickly diagnosed it as an “ankle injury.” Reporters on-site observed him walking with a limp to the locker room. Tennessee must hope that the reports are inaccurate and the Titans’ lineman did not suffer a season-ending injury.
Titans Lineman “Reportedly” Suffers Season Ending Injury
While it is too early to speculate the exact nature of an injury, early indications are that Cushenberry will be out for some time with a lower leg issue. Coach Brian Callahan would not comment, but he did provide a morsel regarding his and Quandre Diggs’ injury status.
Brian Callahan on Quandre Diggs and Lloyd Cushenberry, who both suffered injuries in todays game, with not exactly positive developments on their status pic.twitter.com/HyTca8sD0N
— JT Ruhnke (@jt_ruhnke) November 3, 2024
Cushenberry is the only recognized true center on the 53-man roster. He signed a four-year contract worth $50 million, with $26 million guaranteed during the offseason. If he cannot play further this season, the Titans’ offensive line situation will become exceptionally dire. Cushenberry has a 55.2 overall offensive grade from PFF, which ranks 31st out of 37 eligible centers.
Possible Replacement Options
Internal
Corey Levin
Levin was the staff’s choice to replace Cushenberry once the injury occurred and is far more likely to be the chief option going forward. He has been with the team multiple times under prior regimes and was the backup center when the season started. The most likely combination is that Levin gets the nod while Dillon Radunz retains his starting job at right guard.
Daniel Brunskill
Tennessee could choose possible Cushenberry replacements in a couple of ways. The likely second-best internal option is Sunday’s starter at right guard, Daniel Brunskill. He started at right guard in the victory over the positively destitute Patriots in place of an injured Dillon Radunz.
During the offseason, Brunskill received reps at the center spot until Saahdiq Charles’s abrupt retirement changed the calculus. He could be a good stopgap until the team can find better options on the market elsewhere. If Brunskill is considered the man at the pivot, the possible line combination could be Brunskill-Radunz-Insert favorite RT here. At the same time, Levin acts as a swing interior lineman.
External Options
Trade Market
The trade deadline is approaching this Tuesday, and GM Ran Carthon isn’t a conservative trader by any stretch. He already dealt away star receiver DeAndre Hopkins and linebacker Ernest Jones. Could he mine the trading floor for a gem or two before the deadline slams shut? A couple of options exist for the position for teams with a surplus.
Atlanta has a pair of backup centers that need new homes behind starter Ryan Neuzil. Drew Dalman has starting experience and is designated for return from injury reserve. This move could make current backup Matt Hennessy expendable and surplus to the NFC South leaders.
Carthon could return to the Seahawks’ nest to scoop up another player after trading Ernest Jones to the Pacific Northwest in recent weeks. 2023 fifth-round selection Olu Oluwatimi has been relegated to the bench as the Seahawks’ third-string center.
Offensive Line coach Bill Callahan could impress upon Carthon to make a trip to Cleveland to pry loose a center or two off their reserve lists. The retooling Browns have veterans Nick Harris, Luke Wypler, and Cameron Tom on IR-DFR or Practice Squad.
Free Agency
The free agent market includes names like Scott Quessenberry, Mason Cole, and Connor McGovern, to name a few veterans looking for jobs. None of these options are inspiring, but the potential long-term injury to Cushenberry has the Titans in a precarious spot.
Main Photo Courtesy of Gregory Fisher – Imagn Images
