Julius Chestnut talks 2023 injury, future with Titans

Tennessee Titans 2022 undrafted free agent and running back Julius Chestnut has been one of the bigger surprises to make the initial 53-man roster out of training camp the past two years.

After a stellar preseason showing in 2023, Chestnut made the cut once again and appeared in each of the Titans’ first three games, playing mostly on special teams.

Unfortunately, Chestnut suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns.

“It was hard, an adjustment definitely,” Chestnut said, per Jim Wyatt. “But I had people around me helping me out, and I tried to use the time to get better.”

Chestnut isn’t under contract for 2024, but he is an exclusive rights free agent, so the Titans have control over him if they want to bring him back, something we suggested they should do, as he would be a solid option to compete for a depth/special teams role.

But if Chestnut wants to be anything more than a backup, he’s going to have to improve multiple aspects of his game, something he has been working on after rehabbing from his injury.

“I really just spent the time trying to get better at my weaknesses, trying to be better in the passing game, trying to catch more, do things like that, and focus on my conditioning,” he said.

“When you get to the NFL, you really don’t know how to condition well, or how it was going to be,” Chestnut added. “So, once I learned it’s a different kind of style than college football, I had to adjust. So really, just learning.”

As far as his goals for 2024 go, Chestnut is just hoping to make the team and carve out a role for himself.

“I’ve been through (injuries) before, and I just put my faith in God and my family to get through it,” he said. “(My plan) is to just keep working and try to find my spot on this team. Whatever I need to do to be here, just try to play hard and practice as best I can. I want to come back stronger than ever, better than I was before.”

As things stand now, the Titans only have one running back locked in for 2024 in Tyjae Spears, so there will be ample opportunity for Chestnut to make the cut for the third straight year.