Farley Eager for Another Opportunity

The Tennessee Titans' 2021 first-round pick has not taken the field with the defense since he allowed several big plays early in the season.

George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA Today Network

NASHVILLE – It’s been more than a month since Caleb Farley has taken a defensive snap.

Might a hamstring injury to starting cornerback Kristian Fulton give him a chance to get back on the field this Sunday, when the Titans host the Denver Broncos? Fulton is listed as questionable after he was limited in practice on Friday.

Farley, the Titans’ 2021 first-round draft pick, says he’s been doing all he can to ready for his next chance, whenever that may be.

“I feel good. I feel great,” Farley said. “Just waiting on another opportunity. Whenever they feel like I’m ready, just waiting on that opportunity.”

Farley last played on defense Oct. 9 in Washington, when he surrendered a 75-yard touchdown pass to Dyami Brown. It was the latest explosive play allowed by Farley in limited time, as he’d also been burned by Buffalo’s Jake Kumerow for a 39-yard gain and Indianapolis’ Alec Pierce for a 44-yard gain.

Per Pro Football Focus, Farley has allowed an average gain of 22.7 yards on the nine receptions on which he was targeted, the second-highest average of any cornerback who has played at least 50 snaps this season.

Over the past several weeks, Farley has been bypassed in the defensive back rotation by the likes of Terrance Mitchell and Josh Kalu. In addition, cornerback Elijah Molden may be activated from injured reserve this weekend, adding another body to the mix.

But Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said Farley is keeping a positive outlook as he works to get back on the field.

“I think he’s been engaged,” Bowen said. “He’s had a good attitude about it. Again, I think with all these guys, I think the message every single day is find ways to improve. Whatever it is, pick one thing and let’s work on that, focus on that to improve. Hopefully that pays off as we continue forward.”

Has Farley shown signs of improvement in practice?

“Yeah, I think you see some of the technique in coverage showing up, between our (defensive) reps, the (scout-team) reps, working with the offense on that,” Bowen said. “You’re seeing some of those things carrying over from (individual drills) to those periods and hopefully that can continue the consistency of it.”

The 24-year-old Farley says he feels better about the mental part of his game, something that’s especially essential for a player in a high-stakes position like cornerback.

“I’m just trusting myself, not thinking so much – just doing what I do, trusting myself and not worrying,” Farley said. “You can let too much stuff in your head, especially with everything going on, trying to please everybody. But I’ve just been doing what I do and trusting myself.

“I’ve had some challenges in front of me the past few years. Still battling, still fighting, working my way through things. That’s what I do. I just go out there and trust myself now, have fun. Really, (that’s) made it a lot more simple for me.”

Farley has indeed had to deal with plenty of issues over the years.

He missed three of the first four games in 2021 with a shoulder injury and then returned for two games before he sustained a season-ending ACL injury. Farley’s had two ACL surgeries and two back surgeries since the start of his college career in 2017.

He also opted out of the 2020 season at Virginia Tech due to COVID-19 concerns, meaning Farley only played 23 games over two seasons in his college career.

“It just feels good for me to go out there and run around and play,” Farley said. “So yeah, I’ve been making it through every practice, every game, thank God. Just want to finish this season healthy and be able to move forward from there.”