Roger McCreary has served as a mainstay in the Titans’ secondary during his three years in the league. The team’s slot corner is eligible for a new deal, and an extended stay in Tennessee would be welcomed in this case. 
“The Titans drafted me, I feel like this is always home for me, so I’ll always be happy to come back,” the 25-year-old said (via veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky). “But I feel like it’s really not my decision – it’s in the upper room. So I’ve got to come out and just keep playing and if it comes it comes… If I play good, that’s going to come.”
Selected in the second round during the 2022 draft – then-GM Jon Robinson‘s final one at the helm, as it turned out – McCreary saw plenty of time on the outside during his rookie season. A shift inside began to take effect the following year, though, and last season he played almost exclusively in the slot. That will remain the case for 2025 with Jarvis Brownlee having played his way into a starting role on the perimeter.
Robinson was replaced by Ran Carthon, but that proved to be a short-lived setup. Carthon’s firing paved the way for Chad Brinker to take on the general manager role this offseason, although Chad Brinker resides as the Titans’ top decision-maker regarding roster moves. As Kuharsky notes, Brinker said at the start of training camp that no extension talks have taken place with McCreary to date. No deadline is in place for any potential negotiations to be cut off, however.
McCreary graded out as PFF’s No. 69 corner during his rookie season, but a step forward took place in 2023 (resulting in a 34th-place finish amongst qualifying players). Last year (as the Titans dealt with L’Jarius Sneed‘s absence for mush of the campaign but still managed a strong showing against the pass), he regressed and received a career-worst PFF grade of 61.3. The Auburn product would help his value considerably with a strong showing in 2025.
Sneed represents a potential cut candidate next spring based on his injury issues and the financial implications of moving on. Releasing the former Chief would eliminate the Titans’ most lucrative contract amongst defensive backs, something which could pave the way for a McCreary investment. It will be interesting to see if serious contract talks take place in the closing stages of the offseason.