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At His Age, Joseph's Addition A Risk

Titans have not gotten a lot in recent years out of free agents well into their 30s

David Boclair

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans formally announced Wednesday that they signed veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph.

With the deal, which was widely reported last week, Joseph becomes the Titans’ oldest player – by a wide margin. He turned 36 last month, which makes him two years older than Brett Kern and five years older than any member of the offense or defense.

In an offseason focused on youth, Tennessee’s decision to add Joseph is an anomaly. After all, this is the same team that released Cameron Wake (38 years old) and Delanie Walker (35) and traded Jurrell Casey (30) among its other moves.

Given the franchise’s recent history with long-in-the-tooth free agents, it’s also a bit of a risk. The Titans’ attempts to squeeze one or two more good years out of players at the end of their careers generally have not worked out as well as hoped.

A look at some recent Titans’ free agent signings of players 30 and older, with the player’s age in parentheses at the time he was signed:

2019: Cameron Wake, DE (37 years old) – After a good start (two and a half sacks in the opener), he played just eight more games and did not register a sack before he was placed on injured reserve. He was released after one season.

2012: Steve Hutchinson, G (34 years old) – The seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro played just 12 games for Tennessee before he was placed on injured reserve. He retired four months later.

2016: Andre Johnson, WR (34 years old) – He signed right at the start of training camp and caught nine passes in eight games before he walked away. Months later he signed a one-day contract with Houston so he could officially retire as a member of the Texans.

2016: Matt Cassel, QB (33 years old) – Signed to back up/mentor Marcus Mariota, he started one game each of his two years with the Titans (they went 1-1) and appeared in six contests. He threw more interceptions (four) than touchdown passes (three).

2011: Matt Hasselbeck, QB (33 years old) – The last Tennessee quarterback to start all 16 games in a season, he helped the team to a 9-7 record in his first year before coaches decided it was time to go with Jake Locker. He was released after his second season.

2014: Shaun Phillips, DE (32 years old) – He had two sacks in 11 games before the Titans cut him in November. He finished that season – and his career – with Indianapolis.

2015: Harry Douglas, WR (31 years old) – He averaged 25 receptions over two seasons before an injury limited him to two games played in 2017, which turned out to be his final NFL season.

2015: Anthony Fasano, TE (30 years old) – Never a huge factor in the passing game, he caught eight passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns in his second season with Tennessee, the only time in his 12-year career he had fewer than 10.

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David Boclair
DAVID BOCLAIR

David Boclair has covered the Tennessee Titans for multiple news outlets since 1998. He is award-winning journalist who has covered a wide range of topics in Middle Tennessee as well as Dallas-Fort Worth, where he worked for three different newspapers from 1987-96. As a student journalist at Southern Methodist University he covered the NCAA's decision to impose the so-called death penalty on the school's football program.

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