The Tennessee Titans locked down offensive tackle Taylor Lewan with a record deal. Just how important was the contract to the team’s future?
When Taylor Lewan signed his five-year, $80 million extension with the Tennessee Titans on Friday, he broke a few records. The $16 million per year he’ll be receiving is the most ever for an offensive lineman. Meanwhile, the $50 million guaranteed is the most ever in that department for an offensive lineman.
Due to the hefty price, this could be seen as a handicapping move. However, this was not only a necessary, but a fantastic move for the Titans.
Here’s a statement I think everyone can agree with — Taylor Lewan is really good. He’s proven that much with two consecutive Pro Bowl and NFL Top 100 appearances. Lewan’s also played in all 16 games for two-straight seasons, and in 15 the year before that. Top all that off with the fact that he’s still just 27 and there are plenty of reasons why Tennessee would want to lock him up.
While the contract seems pricey, it leaves enough money for the Titans to make more moves. This was proven almost immediately when they gave tight end Delaine Walker a new deal as well. Then of course, there’s the importance of Lewan to the team. His job description is simple: Protect.
The Titans have a young quarterback in Marcus Mariota and a young running back in Derrick Henry. Meanwhile, their other running back (Dion Lewis) has only appeared in 16 regular season games once since his rookie year in 2011. Those are three valuable assets that Tennessee will want to keep healthy.
As the left tackle, Lewan is considered the most imperative part of the offensive line when it comes to protecting the quarterback. To this point in his career, he’s done a marvelous job at that, hence the contract.
What this does is give his quarterback (and running backs) peace of mind. They know there’s a Pro Bowl caliber tackle protecting them on the left. This makes Tennessee a more intriguing option when it comes time to sign contracts, and helps to protect valuable assets for their future (such as Mariota).
An offensive lineman will never be the sexy signing the majority of fans want to see. They have arguably the most important job on the field however. Taylor Lewan officially being with the Tennessee Titans for the long run only spells out good things for a franchise on the rise.