Tennessee Titans Cut Ties with 2021 First-Round Pick

Tuesday marked roster cutdown day across the NFL.

By Tuesday afternoon, all 32 NFL teams need to trim their rosters down from 90 players to 53. One of the more notable moves from this cutdown period came from the Tennessee Titans, who are parting ways with former first-round pick Caleb Farley.

Tennessee Titans Cut Former First-Round Pick

Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley (3) warms up before facing the New York Giants during their season opener at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn.
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The news was reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, who tweeted, “Titans are releasing former 2021 first-round pick Caleb Farley, per source.”

Farley spent his collegiate years at Virginia Tech, and he was one of the elite cornerbacks in college football during that time. He joined the program in 2017 when he redshirted his freshman year, and he then stepped into a starting role for the 2018 and 2019 campaigns. In total, he put together 56 tackles, a sack, 19 passes defended, and six interceptions over those two years.

However, the cornerback opted not to play in 2020 due to COVID, and he entered the 2021 NFL Draft resting on his laurels from the previous two years.

Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley (3) pulls in a catch during a training camp practice at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn.
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It obviously didn’t hinder his draft stock too much as Farley was still selected 22nd overall in the 2021 Draft and was the third cornerback off the board behind Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain.

That being said, injuries quickly became a problem for Farley heading into the NFL. The cornerback played just three games during his rookie season before an ACL injury ended his 2021 campaign. Then, a back injury limited him to just nine games in 2022 and erased the entirety of his 2023 season.

Now, the once-promising cornerback is officially hitting the waiver wire ahead of his fourth season. We’ll see if a team decides to claim him as a reclamation project, or if this truly marks the end of Farley’s hopes of becoming an NFL star.