Veteran Cornerback Claimed Off Waivers

Lonnie Johnson started 19 games for the Houston Texans from 2019-21, was released by the Kansas City Chiefs this week.

Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports

The Tennessee Titans applied the brakes to their youth movement at cornerback Tuesday.

Lonnie Johnson, a fourth-year veteran who started 19 games in three seasons with the Houston Texans, was claimed off waivers. The Kansas City Chiefs released the 26-year-old on Sunday, a little more than three months after they acquired him in a trade.

To make room on the roster, which was reduced to a limit of 85 players Monday, safety Elijah Benton was released. Benton, who spent time with four teams as a rookie in 2021, was added a little more than a week ago.

Johnson was a second-round pick by Houston in 2019 and was a starter for the first time in Week 2 of his rookie season.

His 44 games played give him more NFL experience than any of the other 10 cornerbacks currently on the roster. Greg Mabin, 28, has been in the league longer but has seen action in just 39 contests.

Starters Kristian Fulton and Caleb Farley are in their third and second seasons, respectively, and the top two backups are Roger McCreary and Elijah Molden, who are in their first and second seasons, respectively. All four were taken within the first three rounds of their respective drafts.

Johnson has been credited with 159 tackles, three interceptions and 13 passes defensed in addition to 13 special teams tackles for his career. His best season was 2020 when he made 70 tackles in 16 games (five starts) for the Texans.

His arrival comes with Chris Jackson, a 2020 seventh-round draft pick, out with an injury.

Tennessee will conduct joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday and Thursday. Those same teams will face each other in a preseason contest Saturday at Nissan Stadium.