Titans place Landry on IR after reports of ACL rupture

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans placed Pro Bowl linebacker Harold Landry III on injured reserve Friday.

The Titans didn’t cite a reason for Landry going to IR. A person with direct knowledge of the injury confirmed that Landry tore his ACL in practice on Wednesday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Titans did not comment on the nature of Landry’s injury.

Tennessee also claimed outside linebacker Derrek Tuszka on Friday. The 6-foot-4, 251-pound Tuska played a combined 24 games with Denver in 2020 and Pittsburgh in 2021. He had two sacks and a forced fumble with the Steelers last season.

Tennessee also placed wide receiver Racey McMath on the disabled list on Thursday. The Titans placed 26 on injured reserve last season and used an NFL record 91 different players, most in a non-strike season. The NFL changed rules this offseason to allow only eight players to return from injured reserve to the roster.

Landry was coming off the best year of his career with 12 sacks, earning his first Pro Bowl nomination. Boston College’s 41st pick in the 2018 draft was rewarded with a five-year extension worth up to $87.5 million with $52.5 million guaranteed.

Landry, 26, helped the Titans rank ninth last season with 43 sacks. Tennessee was the only NFL team with at least three different players with at least eight sacks. Landry had started every game for three straight seasons.

Landry ranked 10th in the NFL with 12 sacks. He has a team record 31 sacks over the past four seasons. Landry’s total is the franchise’s second-highest in its first four seasons since 1982, when individual sacks became an official NFL stat.

Defending champions AFC South open the season Sept. 11 against the visiting New York Giants.

Landry’s loss is a blow, but the Titans have outside linebacker Bud Dupree on the other side. He got his own big contract in March 2021.

Dupree said in June that he had spent the 2021 season recovering from the torn ACL he injured in December 2020 and was not feeling like himself until the Titans lost in the playoffs. , when they had nine bags.

Tennessee also has linebacker Rashad Weaver, who broke his leg in Game 3 last season. He was the Titans’ 2021 fourth-round pick in Pittsburgh, where he was a consensus All-American.