Titans DT Teair Tart signs second-round tender

Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Teair Tart has officially signed his second-round tender, according to a report from Adam Schefter. Tart will earn $4.3 million in 2023. This officially ends Tart’s soft holdout.

Despite not signing the tender, Tart was an active participant throughout the early portion of OTA’s. Tart, who wasn’t technically under contract, had to sign an injury waiver. It signaled Tart’s intention to continue playing for the Titans.

The Titans originally placed a second-round tender on Tart in early March. The former undrafted free agent out of FIU had previously declined an opportunity to sign the tender in hopes of negotiating a long-term extension with the Titans. Tart even switched agents in the middle of the negotiation. The problem for Tart? The Titans held all the leverage via the tender.

The tender enabled Titans general manager Ran Carthon to match any offer sheet from another organization. If the Titans declined to match, they would have received a second-round selection in exchange for Tart. Tart never signed an offer sheet with a competing franchise, which officially brings this saga to a conclusion.

Tart has developed into a quality starter for Mike Vrabel’s defense. He’s a massive part of the team’s elite run defense the past two seasons. The Titans allowed a league-low 76.9 rushing yards per contest in 2022. Another fruitful showing by Tart in 2023 could lead to the long-term contract he covets, either in Tennessee or elsewhere.