Should the Titans limit Harold Landry’s snaps?

Tennessee Titans EDGE rusher Harold Landry hasn’t been his regular self this season. Through six completed weeks, Landry has recorded just 2.0 sacks. The Titans should consider limiting his snap count moving forward.

Pro Football Focus has credited Landry with recording just six quarterback pressures this season. In Sunday’s defeat to the Baltimore Ravens, Landry had just one quarterback pressure for the third consecutive game. Landry currently has a pass-rushing grade of 51.2, which is by far the lowest mark of his career.

Landry has been on the field for 140 pass-rushing snaps. That means the former Boston College standout is recording one quarterback pressure approximately every 23.3 opportunities. That’s a completely ineffective result.

Meanwhile Trevis Gipson has recorded five pressures, four quarterback hurries, and 1.0 sack for the Titans this season. Gipson has played just 17 pass-rushing snaps and wasn’t active until Week 4. Pro Football Focus has awarded Gipson with an elite pass-rushing grade of 92.8.

Gipson is recording a pressure every 3.4 opportunities. That’s significantly more productive than Landry’s one-pressure-every-23-snaps number. The Titans should consider increasing Gipson’s snaps at the expense of Landry.

In the interest of fairness, Gipson’s numbers are benefiting from a small sample size. Should Gipson play in an expanded role, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll continue recording pressures every three snaps, and his PFF pass-rushing score of 92.8 would certainly lower. But the eye test and advanced metrics both indicate Gipson has been far more productive than Landry no matter how you slice it.

The Titans have decided to stick by Landry despite his ongoing struggles. It’s somewhat understandable. When healthy, Landry is one of Shane Bowen’s most talented, productive defenders.

But health is the big question mark. Landry returned to the field in 2023 after missing the entire 2022 campaign with a season-ending ACL injury. Landry is clearly still being hampered by the lingering effects.

I’m done believing that a Titan is going to immediately thrive when returning from an ACL injury. The Titans coaching staff tried to tell us all summer long that Landry appeared to be the same player. Instead, he’s now the fourth Titan in recent memory to struggle throughout his first campaign back from an ACL, joining a list that includes Taylor Lewan, Robert Woods, and Bud Dupree.

Former GM Jon Robinson signed Landry to a five-year contract worth $87.5 million ahead of the 2022 campaign, and Landry unfortunately tore his ACL just months later. It’s worth noting the Titans don’t possess many creative avenues to explore Landry’s future with the franchise this offseason. General manager Ran Carthon would forfeit $13 million in 2024 cap space while inheriting a dead cap charge of $36.9 million by releasing Landry pre-June-1, according to Spotrac. The only realistic option is a post-June-1 trade, which saves the Titans $17.2 million while creating manageable charges of $6.5 million in 2024, and $13.1 million in 2025.

Perhaps that’s why the Titans insist on continuing to play Landry despite his obvious struggles. Landry will likely be a part of the 2024 Titans. It remains in Tennessee’s best interest to help Landry recover his previous form.