Former Tar Heel Cedric Gray to start rookie NFL season on injured reserve

The Tennessee Titans got an absolute steal in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft, selecting former North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Cedric Gray at pick 106.

Gray compiled one of the most dominant stretches by a UNC defensive player in recent history, recording 100+ tackles in each of the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons. Gray was First Team All-ACC in both 2022 and 2023, meaning he produced in a unit that otherwise couldn;t.

Sadly for Gray, he’ll have to wait a little longer for his first NFL snaps. On Thursday, Aug. 29, X announced the Gray was making a trip to Injured Reserve, which means he’ll have to miss Tennessee’s first four games (Bears, Jets, Packers, Dolphins.

The Titans obviously want to have Gray healthy and available, but they are a suddenly deep team defensively, headlined by the likes of cornerback L’Jaruis Sneed, safety Quandre Diggs and defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons.

Tennessee’s situation is perfect. Its roster carries enough NFL veterans so that, when Gray is fully-cleared for football activities, he’ll have a quarter of an entire season to learn.

Keep an eye out on Gray’s situation, which sounds pretty scary. He has a nerve-related issue in his shoulder – and Titans head coach Brian Callahan wants to take the cautious approach.

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