Titans' Brian Callahan gives brutally honest answer about injured rookie

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan was happy about many things on Saturday. His team improved to 2-0 in the preseason and several players had big nights that should help the coach feel better about the depth on the roster.

A couple of those players who have impressed are linebackers Chance Campbell and James Williams. Both have tremendously helped their case to make the roster with strong preseason showings.

The reason those players have even been able to play so much is because rookie linebacker Cedric Gray has been sidelined with an injury . Gray, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, received hype this offseason and figured to play a big role as a rookie.

Instead, the North Carolina product has yet to play in the preseason as he deals with a shoulder injury, which has led to him missing a ton of much-needed reps.

After the victory over the Seattle Seahawks , Callahan was asked if Gray is at risk of falling behind in the linebackers room.

“Yeah, it’s not good when you miss that amount of time,” Callahan explained, per Easton Freeze of Broadway Sports . “Can he make up the ground? Sure, it’s not impossible. But, there’s a point where you gotta get out there and play.”

Callahan mentioned the play of Campbell and Williams and also stressed that it’s not Gray’s fault he hasn’t been on the field.

“It’s not his (Gray’s) fault, but that’s just the nature of training camp,” he said. “I wish we had a chance to look at him (Gray), but that’s just the nature of the game.”

It’s unclear if Gray will be available for the team’s preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints . One certain thing, though, is that Gray has a ton of ground to make up if he has any hope of contributing early in the season.