The Tennessee Titans are attempting to hold on to defensive lineman Teair Tart, who is a restricted free agent this offseason, but the 26-year-old hasn’t been nailed down quite yet.
The Titans placed a second-round tender on the RFA, which allows him to talk to other teams but gives Tennessee the chance to match any offer he receives and agrees to.
If Tart doesn’t sign an offer sheet and plays on the tender, it’ll cost the Titans $4.3 million. If the 2020 UDFA signs an offer sheet elsewhere and the team doesn’t match, they’ll receive a second-round pick.
As we continue to wait to see how things play out ahead of the deadline for restricted free-agent signings (April 21), Tart posted this cryptic tweet on Monday night.
Still don’t believe in me…..
— TEAIR TART9️⃣3️⃣ (@speedboy_te75) March 20, 2023
For the record, I believe in him.
We can’t always assume that cryptic tweets like this have to do with football, but if you take this one in that context, it would appear that Tart might not be getting the love he thought he might in free agency.
Since coming to Nashville, Tart has developed into a good starter and has been a key component in the team’s elite run defense the past two seasons. He’s flown under the radar a bit with studs like Denico Autry and Jeffery Simmons alongside him.
It wouldn’t be shocking if a team tried to poach him away considering he’s a good player, although having to give up a second-round pick to do so is definitely a deterrent.
The $4.3 million Tart will make if he plays on the tender would amount to a pretty sizeable raise after he made $895,000 in 2022, per Over the Cap.
Still, I’m sure Tart would prefer a long-term deal instead to give him some security, an option the Titans have and may have even explored (speculation) with no success. I will never fault a player for wanting a bigger bag, either.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s in the cards for him this year because of his status as a tendered unrestricted free agent, but one more quality campaign like the one he had in 2022 and Tart will set himself up for a bigger, long-term payday when he becomes unrestricted in 2023.
