Titans Give Major Report to ESPN: Unworried About $76 Million Five-Star’s Injury Concerns
Nashville, TN — June 24, 2025
The Tennessee Titans are doubling down on their confidence in recently signed five-star edge rusher Malik Rawlins, despite ongoing speculation regarding his injury history. In a major report given to ESPN on Tuesday, team officials made it clear: they’re not concerned.
Rawlins, who signed a blockbuster 5-year, $76 million deal in March, has been the subject of scrutiny from analysts and fans alike after missing significant portions of the past two seasons with a lingering knee issue and a high ankle sprain. However, the Titans’ front office says they’ve done their homework — and they’re all in.
“Malik passed every part of our medical evaluation, which was the most rigorous we’ve ever done,” Titans GM Ron Carthon told ESPN. “We brought in independent specialists. We flew him to multiple facilities. If there was even a 5% chance we thought his injuries would be chronic, we wouldn’t have made the offer we did.”
The 26-year-old Rawlins is considered one of the league’s most explosive pass rushers when healthy. At his peak with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, he posted 13.5 sacks, 31 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. That same year, he earned All-Pro Second Team honors and was widely viewed as a top-three edge rusher in the NFL.
But injuries derailed what could have been a Defensive Player of the Year campaign in 2023. After tweaking his ankle in Week 3, Rawlins was in and out of the lineup before finally being shut down in December. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in January — a procedure some viewed as precautionary, but others saw as a red flag.
Carthon disagrees with that framing.
“The surgery wasn’t about fixing a chronic issue — it was about cleaning things up and giving him peace of mind heading into a long offseason. We’ve been monitoring his recovery daily. He’s already been cleared for non-contact drills and will be a full go for training camp.”
Head coach Brian Callahan echoed that optimism.
“I’ve coached guys coming off worse who’ve bounced back and had career years,” Callahan told ESPN. “What I see in Malik is hunger. He’s been doubted his whole life. That chip on his shoulder? It’s real — and now he’s healthy enough to do something with it.”
The Titans have invested heavily in their defense this offseason, and Rawlins is the centerpiece of that strategy. With a young secondary and a rebuilt front seven, Tennessee is banking on Rawlins not only to anchor the pass rush but to set the tone for a defense that ranked 23rd in sacks last season.
Fans remain cautiously optimistic, but many remember previous high-priced signings that didn’t pan out. Carthon says this one feels different.
“We don’t hand out $76 million lightly,” he said. “This isn’t about hype — it’s about results. Malik will deliver.”
The Titans kick off training camp next month, and all eyes will be on No. 55. If Rawlins stays healthy, Tennessee may have found their missing piece — and silenced t
he doubters in the process.
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