Defensive Lineman Returns on One-year Deal

Teair Tart has played 18 games for Tennessee since he entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie out of Florida International in 2020.

Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today Sports

There is no guarantee that Teair Tart will be a starter once again for the Tennessee Titans in 2022. What is certain is that his time with the Titans is not finished.

The 25-year-old defensive lineman has agreed to a one-year deal to return for the coming season, All Titans writer John Glennon confirmed Wednesday. The team officially reported the deal a short time later.

Undrafted out of Florida International in 2020, Tart was set to become an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA) when the NFL’s new contract year begins next week. As such, the team needed only to offer him a one-year contract at the league minimum to prohibit him from negotiating with other teams. Terms of his new pact were not immediately available.

The Titans had two others eligible to be ERFAs, backup quarterback Logan Woodside and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Those two also agreed to one-year deals Wednesday.

Tart played 18 games in his first two NFL seasons and was credited with 21 tackles, five quarterback pressures, three tackles for loss and one pass defensed. At 6-foot-2, 304 pounds, he started the first seven games of 2021 (he made 10 starts in all) at nose tackle in place of DaQuan Jones, who left in free agency.

An ankle injury limited him to just four appearances in the final 10 games and allowed Naquan Jones, an undrafted rookie last season, to play in his place. Jones started five of the final eight games and finished the season with 29 tackles and two and a half sacks with four tackles for loss.

Presuming he is healthy, Tart will battle Jones this offseason for the starting spot between Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry.