Rashaan Evans named Titans player on the ‘hottest hot seat’ in 2021

The Tennessee Titans as a whole will have more pressure on them in 2021 after trading for wide receiver Julio Jones, but in terms of specific players on the hot seat for this coming season, linebacker Rashaan Evans might be feeling the heat more than any other player on the team.

Evans showed flashes of being a solid linebacker during his sophomore campaign in 2019, but much like the rest of the Titans’ defense in 2020, he took a step back and looked like a shell of his previous self.

Going into 2021, Evans is facing a contract year after his fifth-year option was declined this offseason, and now he’ll have to really pick up his play if he wants to land a lucrative long-term deal in free agency in 2022.

Adding to that, Evans saw the Titans draft another inside linebacker and his potential future replacement in Monty Rice, and the Alabama product has 2019 sixth-round pick David Long breathing down his neck for snaps.

As a result of all of those factors, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski believes Evans’ seat is hotter than that of any Titans player currently on the roster.

Anytime an organization doesn’t pick up a former first-round pick’s fifth-year rookie option, the writing is on the wall.

The Tennessee Titans declined Rashaan Evans’ fifth-year option this offseason even after finishing among the team’s top-three tacklers the past two seasons. 

Sure, the linebacker could have a strong effort in his fourth year like Jack Conklin once did before he signed a significant free-agent deal with the Cleveland Browns. The odds are more likely that Evans plays out his contract and doesn’t remain with the Titans beyond the 2021 campaign. 

Tennessee already has the pieces in place to move on from both Evans and Jayon Brown in David Long Jr. and Monty Rice, whom the organization drafted in this year’s third round. 

At this point, the bigger question is whether Evans and Brown can even hold onto their starting jobs. 

What Evans does have going for him is the fact that each of the last two players to have their fifth-year options declined by Tennessee, right tackle Jack Conklin and wide receiver Corey Davis, went on to have good to great seasons, ultimately leading to big paydays in free agency from other teams.

With the Titans figuring to have limited cap space in 2022, and with the team seemingly already having a pair of replacement options in Rice and Long, Evans’ days in Nashville are likely numbered no matter what.