Farley's First Start Ends With Injury

The first-round draft pick out of Virginia Tech sustained a knee injury in the second quarter of the Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley left the field with an injury with 9:16 left in the second quarter of Monday’s game against the Buffalo Bills.

The first-round draft pick made his first start of the season in place of Kristian Fulton. But Farley hurt himself trying to tackle Emmanuel Sanders after a reception. While pulling Sanders down, Farley also collided with teammate Kevin Byard. He was helped to the sideline by medical assistants and was not putting any weight on his left leg.

A short time later, the Titans announced Farley would not return.

According to postgame reports, Farley has a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season. In college, he missed his entire freshman season due to a torn ACL sustained in preseason drills. 

MRI confirmed an isolated ACL tear with minimal lateral meniscus damage for Caleb Farley, per source. His rookie season is now over. https://t.co/WhL6hFiuG1

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 19, 2021

One possession earlier, Farley had left the contest for the final two plays of a Buffalo drive that reached the red zone before stalling.

"I feel like as a team, we do a good job of making sure that everybody is prepared for the game because everybody has that thought in their head that you could play at any moment," outside linebacker Harold Landry said. "Shoutout to those guys that came in and did the job."

It’s been a rocky first season for Farley, the former Virginia Tech standout. He came to the Titans after undergoing two back surgeries, which limited his time during the offseason and training camp. He had practiced sparingly during the season’s first five weeks, limited by illness and a shoulder injury.

Farley’s injury left the Titans thin in the secondary. They already were without Fulton, the team’s second-round pick in 2020, who was placed on injured reserve Monday with a hamstring injury. Chris Jackson replaced Farley in the lineup, and Breon Borders got a few snaps as well. Jackson failed to finish the game because he sustained a foot injury in the second half.

"It's tough. It's tough to see my guys go out, guys that are out there battling, fighting," safety Kevin Byard said. "Dealt with a lot of injuries this year. It also speaks to the resiliency of this team, the way we're built. When guys come in, they have to make plays."

Farley had been credited with two tackles in the contest before he left. He’d also been beaten for a few Bills completions and missed two tackles on the opening possession.