Tennessee Titans' darkhorse candidate for right guard starting role emerges

The Tennessee Titans are leaving no stone unturned following Saahdiq Charles' sudden retirement on Tuesday.

Undrafted free agent Andrew Rupcich is getting an opportunity to win the starting right guard spot on the offensive line, an area that was already under tremendous scrutiny before the retirement news sent shockwaves through the organization on Tuesday night.

Rupcich played his college ball at Division II Culver–Stockton, where he made all 48 starts at the left tackle position across five seasons. However, the Titans believe they have something in Rupcich at the right guard spot.

The Wonder Lake, Illinois, native never made it into a game during his 2022 rookie season but saw five games, including two starts at right guard last year.

On Wednesday, Rupcich was thrust into first-team reps.

"It's a big step for me," Rupcich said via Jim Wyatt of Titans Online . "I feel like my first two years there was a lot of learning, catching up with the speed coming from (Division II) to here. Now, I'm just able to play free.

"OTAs was a lot of learning, and now, just getting into training camp, it's putting that all together and showing that and putting my best film out there."

Rupcich logged 208 snaps along the offensive line in 2023 and performed well at times. He was responsible for one sack allowed and five quarterback hits. Further, Rupcich was given a grade of 58.4 by Pro Football Focus ; however, he was much better as a pass protector (68.6 grade).

Prior to the Charles news, Rupcich was preparing for more responsibility this season. The 6-foot-6, 318-pound lineman added some weight to his frame to handle the durability of more playing time.

Now, with one less lineman to beat in camp, he understands the opportunity in front of him. Working alongside offensive line coach Brian Callahan, Rupcich hopes to uncover another layer of his game that propels him into a starting role for the Titans in 2024.

"I hope everything's going well with (Charles) and his family and everything," he said. "But, for me, personally, it's a great opportunity. It helps me. There's one less competitor to go against. It's always a big step."