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Titans Urged to Trade Solomon Thomas After Robert Saleh Reunion Fails to Take Off
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- Titans Urged to Trade Solomon Thomas After Robert Saleh Reunion Fails to Take Off
The Tennessee Titans spent this offseason chasing familiarity, and few moves fit that theme better than the trade for defensive lineman Solomon Thomas. Robert Saleh wanted a player who already knew his defense, and Thomas had run it in two different cities. On paper, it made complete sense.
Two games into the season, that reunion hasn't translated into a bigger role — and with Tennessee sitting at 0-2, it's fair to ask whether Thomas is better off somewhere else.
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Why the fit hasn't clicked yet
Tennessee Titans Solomon Thomas (90) drills at team practice Vanderbilt Health Football Center Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026.
The Titans acquired Thomas from the Dallas Cowboys in March in a straight seventh-round pick swap, reuniting him with Saleh for the third time in his career after stints together in San Francisco and New York. Thomas was thrilled about the move at the time.
"I am more filled with excitement and joy to be somewhere where I am wanted, and be in a great city like Nashville," Thomas told the team's official website shortly after the trade.
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But excitement hasn't equaled snaps. Thomas has played just 28 percent of Tennessee's defensive reps through two weeks, buried behind Jeffery Simmons and John Franklin-Myers on the interior. It's a modest role for a player who spent nearly a decade working under Saleh's system, and it raises the question of whether Nashville is truly the best use of his remaining prime.
Thomas, who is 30 and set to hit free agency in 2027, isn't without value elsewhere. He logged 27 tackles and three tackles for loss in a rotational role with Dallas last season, and a contender looking for interior depth ahead of the November 10 deadline could view him as a low-cost addition. Given his age and diminished role, though, Tennessee likely wouldn't command much more than a conditional Day 3 pick in return — similar to what it gave up to get him in the first place.
None of that speaks to Thomas' standing in the building. His loyalty to Saleh runs deep; he's defended his coach publicly even after the messy end in New York. But loyalty doesn't always survive a rebuild, and if Tennessee's season continues sliding, Thomas becomes exactly the kind of veteran a team like this typically moves.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
