Veteran Wide Receiver Comes Home

Josh Malone is a Nashville native who played at the University of Tennessee who last played an NFL game in 2020.

Vincent Carchietta/USA Today Sports

NASHVILLE – The Titans are hoping a return to Tennessee will help wide receiver Josh Malone make more happy memories.

A former University of Tennessee and Station Camp High, Malone signed a futures contract with the Titans on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Malone was a fourth-round draft pick of the Bengals in 2017, but he has seen limited NFL success since then. In five years, Malone has been a part of four organizations – the Bengals, Jets, Broncos and Packers – and totaled 11 catches for 91 yards and one touchdown.

Malone played three seasons for the Volunteers (2014-16) and emerged as a big-time playmaker during his final year. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder caught 50 passes for 972 yards (19.4-yard average) and 11 touchdowns during the 2016 season. Overall at Tennessee, Malone totaled 104 catches for 1,608 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Prior to playing for the Volunteers, Malone played at Station Camp High in Gallatin, Tenn. (a Nashville suburb), where he earned Tennessee Mr. Football Honors after posting 71 catches for 1,404 yards and 19 touchdowns during his senior year.

Malone showed some promise as a rookie with the Bengals in 2017, as he started seven of the 11 games he played, catching six passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. But he caught only one pass in nine games for Cincinnati in 2018, and he was cut prior to the 2019 season. Malone spent parts of the next two seasons with the Jets, recording a combined four catches for 16 yards in 2019 and 2020.

Malone had brief stints on the practice squads of the Broncos and Packers last season, but didn’t appear in any games for either team.

Assuming Malone remains on the Titans roster during the offseason, he’ll get a chance to compete for a spot on a team that has some questions at the receiver position – aside from A.J. Brown.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is a lock to return, though he is an exclusive rights free agent and needs a new contract. But it’s possible the Titans decide to move on from veteran Julio Jones after his injury-plagued season in 2021. Chester Rogers and Marcus Johnson are pending unrestricted free agents. The Titans’ two rookie receivers last season – Dez Fitzpatrick and Racey McMath – combined for just seven catches in 2021. Cody Hollister and Mason Kinsey will likely figure in the competitive mix as well in the upcoming season.