What another Caleb Farley injury means for Tennessee Titans now and in the future

Tennessee Titans second-year cornerback Caleb Farley was placed on injured reserve Monday and is reportedly out for the season with a herniated disc in his back, according to ESPN.

This would be Farley's second season-ending injury in two years in the NFL and continues a string of injury problems that have haunted Farley since college. He missed the 2017 season at Virginia Tech with a torn ACL, missed two games in 2019 because of back spasms that required minor disc surgery, opted out of the 2020 season out of concern for COVID-19 and fell down draft boards in 2021 because of a disc injury that sprouted up before his pro day.

The Titans chose Farley with the 22nd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Upon returning from injury, he played in three games with one start and one pass breakup before tearing his ACL again. This season he's been a rarely used role player, logging just 104 defensive snaps and 74 special teams snaps. When he's been on the field, he hasn't done much, making 10 tackles while Pro Football Focus grades him as the Titans' second-worst defender who has played at least 100 snaps.

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Of the 129 cornerbacks who have played at least 70 coverage snaps this season, Pro Football Focus grades Farley as the third-worst in coverage. He's been targeted 13 times and allowed nine completions for 204 yards and two touchdowns. When throwing at Farley, quarterbacks have had a passer rating of 151.4, just a hair shy of perfect.

Before his most recent injury sustained on special teams Sunday vs. the Denver Broncos, Farley hadn't played a defensive snap since Week 5 against the Washington Commanders. In that game, he played seven coverage snaps and was targeted one time. That pass went for a 75-yard touchdown.

What this means for the Tennessee Titans right now

In the short term, this injury doesn't change much about the team or its chances to contend in 2022. Farley had already been passed over on the depth chart by everyone from rookies Roger McCreary and Tre Avery to journeyman Terrance Mitchell.

If anything, losing Farley to injured reserve will free the Titans up to add a defensive back off the street or elevate someone from the practice squad. Especially with corners Kristian Fulton and Elijah Molden on the Titans' injury report, adding another body to compete can't be a bad thing.

What this means for the Tennessee Titans moving forward

It's time to recalibrate the expectations of what Farley can be.

Farley has essentially played eight games in three years plus some cameos on special teams. When he's been on the field, he hasn't been good. He has a few valid reasons for struggling. Injuries are part of football and they're hard to come back from, especially when they require surgery and rehab.

But it's hard to see Farley blossoming into the true No. 1 corner the Titans envisioned as first-round pick. If this year is lost and he can stay healthy in 2023, that would turn 2024 into his "prove-it" year leading into the Titans having to decide whether to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.

The Titans are built to compete now. For Farley to make a difference on this team, one of two things will need to happen:

1. He'll need to get healthy, prove himself in practice and show the coaches he's worthy of a starting position without getting live game reps.

2. The Titans' chances of contending will need to dip to a point where they're comfortable preparing their roster for the future instead of the fighting in the present, giving Farley some game reps in moments that don't matter as much.

Option 2 isn't an organizational priority, so the best chance Farley has is to hone his craft on the side. That would mean finally getting healthy and recapturing the form that made the long, rangy, converted wideout such an alluring cornerback prospect in college when he logged six interceptions and 19 pass breakups in two seasons at Virginia Tech.

While Farley is working on that, the Titans need some insurance. Fulton, Molden and McCreary are all young cornerbacks the Titans can continue to build their secondary around. But depth is an issue. Adding another veteran or two in free agency or devoting another early round draft pick to secondary help could be a priority in the spring.

Contact Nick Suss at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Caleb Farley injury means for Tennessee Titans now, in future