Titans place Pro Bowler Harold Landry on injured reserve

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

The Titans did not cite a reason for Landry going on IR. A person with direct knowledge of the injury confirmed reports that Landry tore an ACL in practice Wednesday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Titans have not commented on the nature of Landry's injury.

Tennessee also claimed outside linebacker Derrek Tuszka on Friday. The 6-foot-4, 251-pound Tuska has played in 24 games combined 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 injured reserve 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 the 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 nod. The 41st overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Boston College was rewarded with a five-year extension worth up to $87.5 million with $52.5 million guaranteed.

The 26-year-old Landry helped the Titans tie for 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 his 12 sacks. He has a team-high 31 sacks over the past four seasons. Landry's total is the second-most for this franchise over his first four seasons since 1982 when individual sacks became an official NFL statistic.

The reigning AFC South champs open the season Sept. 11 against the visiting New York Giants.

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

Dupree said in June that he spent the 2021 season recovering from the torn ACL he injured in December 2020 and didn’t feel like himself until the Titans’ divisional playoff loss, when they had nine sacks.

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

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