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What are Titans WR options with Calvin Ridley hurt? Is it as bad for Cam Ward as it seems?
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- What are Titans WR options with Calvin Ridley hurt? Is it as bad for Cam Ward as it seems?
The Tennessee Titans ' wide receiver options are as thin as they've been in years, and that's saying something .
Calvin Ridley is out for the rest of the season with a broken fibula sustained in the loss to the Houston Texans on Nov. 16. Rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike are being evaluated with a hamstring injury and a chest contusion. Bryce Oliver is on injured reserve. Tyler Lockett was released about a month ago. Van Jefferson and Mason Kinsey are the lone healthy receivers on the active roster, with James Proche II, Xavier Restrepo and Hal Presley III are on the practice squad.
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Think of things this way: On Dec. 4, 2022, the Titans played virtually an entire game with only Robert Woods , Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and C.J. Board at receiver, a real approach of rock bottom. Since that 35-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles , the Titans have added 26 receivers: Chris Moore , Colton Dowell , Jacob Copeland , Tre'Shaun Harrison, Gavin Holmes, Kearis Jackson , DeAndre Hopkins , Shi Smith , Ridley, Tyler Boyd , Jha'Quan Jackson, Oliver, Sam Schnee, Tay Martin , Stanley Morgan, Jefferson, Lockett, Ayomanor, Dike, Restrepo, T.J. Sheffield, Matt Landers , Proche, Ramel Keyton , Lance McCutcheon and Presley.
All that cycling, and it's still a problem.
"We'll wait and see the health of the other guys like we talked and we'll do it by committee," interim coach Mike McCoy said Nov. 17 about the receiver depth. "We'll work through it. It's Monday. So we'll work through those things. We always talk about it: It's players. A great example of that is the last drive offensively. It's players making plays and guys stepping up."
To an extent, McCoy's right. The Titans' lone touchdown drive in their 16-13 loss against the Texans came after Ridley, Ayomanor and Dike got hurt. Quarterback Cam Ward led the Titans on a 95-yard drive without completing a pass to a receiver until the 4-yard touchdown pass to Jefferson that completed it. In an imperfect scenario, the Titans make do because they have to.
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McCoy didn't have any updates on the status of Ayomanor or Dike. When asked about Restrepo, the rookie slot option most notable for being Ward's favorite college target in 2024 at Miami , McCoy said he's been impressed with Restrepo's commitment to mastering a role in the kicking game, opening up opportunities to contribute in game situations. When the Titans have needed extra slot options throughout the season, Kinsey and Proche have gotten the call ahead of Restrepo.
Presley, at 6-foot-3, is the lone big-bodied option the Titans can turn to in the sea of 5-11 Kinsey, 5-11 Proche and 5-10 Restrepo. Presley, like Restrepo, has never taken an NFL snap.
Tight end Chig Okonkwo has been the Titans' leading receiver in 2025 both by catches (32) and yards (337). The Titans do not have a player who ranks in the top 70 in the NFL in either receptions or receiving yards, and are one of just two teams along with the New York Jets that doesn't have multiple players with at least two touchdown catches.
The Titans (1-9) host the Seattle Seahawks (7-3) at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 23 (noon CT, FOX).
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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com . Follow Nick on X @nicksuss . Subscribe to the Talkin' Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans WR options with Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike injuries
