3 Tennessee Titans who won't be back after Ran Carthon's sudden firing

The Tennessee Titans made perhaps the most shocking firing thus far, parting ways with GM Ran Carthon after just two seasons. The Titans went just 9-25 in Carthon's two years in charge, so it's not as if he should've had an insane amount of job security, but firing him made just as much sense as their decision to let Vrabel go in the first place.

The Titans' roster is a mess, and now, Vrabel is generating interest from virtually every team with a head coaching opening.

Carthon is only the first to go in what should be an interesting offseason in Tennessee. These three players won't be back with the Titans in 2025.

3) The Titans have no logical reason to hold onto Nicholas Petit-Frere

Offensive line was an issue for the Titans this past season, and no player struggled in that unit more than Nicholas Petit-Frere. Right tackle was a revolving door for the team, and Petit-Frere's struggles were a big reason why.

The 25-year-old allowed 10 sacks and 41 pressures in his 15 appearances (10 starts), according to PFF. He was expected to be the solution at right tackle, but his struggles led to the team trying out several others at that position. The Titans wouldn't save much money assuming they release him, but what's the point of holding onto him when he struggled as much as he did?

It's never fun to release a third-round pick before that player finishes up his rookie contract, but there's no other option here. The Titans can, and should do better than hoping Petit-Frere somehow turns things around in 2025.

2) Will Levis is clearly not the future in Tennessee

Will Levis is easily the most controversial name on this list, but it isn't hard to see why the Titans would let him go. The team's struggles led to them landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. This means that the Titans can select whichever quarterback they like the most - presumably Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward - to be their long-term solution under center.

The Titans had hoped Levis, a second-round pick under Carthon, would be their long-term solution at the quarterback position, but he has proven to be anything but in his two seasons with the team.

Levis was handed the reigns this season but struggled mightily, completing 63.1 percent of his passes overall for 2,091 yards and 13 touchdowns in 12 games. While he showed occasional flashes, his inability to protect the football is the biggest reason why the Titans finished where they did in the standings and why they must move on. Not only did Levis throw 12 interceptions, but he fumbled 10 times. Again, he played in just 12 games.

The new general manager will not have an attachment to Levis in any way like Carthon would've had he stayed put, so trading him to a team that believes it can get the most out of him makes a lot of sense. The Titans should not want Levis as their backup to a rookie, and should look to trade him now before he loses all value entirely.

1) It won't be difficult for the Titans to find an upgrade over Tyler Boyd

Tyler Boyd signed a one-year deal with Tennessee last offseason, reuniting with former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator and new Titans head coach Brian Callahan in the process. The deal made some sense, considering Boyd's familiarity with Callahan and Tennessee's need for a slot receiver. Unfortunately, he didn't do much with the Titans.

Boyd totaled 39 receptions for 390 yards in 16 games played and failed to get into the end zone a single time. If this wasn't Boyd's worst statistical season, it was his second-worst.

The 30-year-old ranked fourth on the team in receptions and yards, and had the Titans held onto DeAndre Hopkins, chances are, he would've ranked fifth. Tennessee's skill position players aren't great as is, so the fact that Boyd couldn't be more productive despite staying healthy on a 3-14 team devoid of talent is telling.

The Titans need to pursue upgrades at the receiver position, and considering how much of a non-factor Boyd turned out to be, finding his replacement shouldn't be all that difficult.