Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers will be with a new team in 2026, but his transition to the Titans will be a smoother one thanks to some familiar faces in the building.
Titans head coach Robert Saleh had the same job with the Jets when Franklin-Myers was with the team and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson made the move to Tennessee in a trade this month. There’s also history with defensive run game coordinator Aaron Whitecotton and Franklin-Myers said that the best part of his new team is that “you have people that you trust and bled with and sweated with and it makes it easier to be out there.”
Franklin-Myers said Saleh’s presence was particularly important to him when it came time to making a decision about where to sign this offseason.
“Our relationship, we have one of the best relationships in football I would say,” Franklin-Myers said, via the team’s website. “We kept in contact. When I’m down, he is going to shoot me a text, and he is going to pick me up. Relationships in football, they’re so important. And I appreciate coach Saleh because I can always count on him. Whenever free agency started, it was like: ‘If the opportunity ever came about and he was willing, and we set the financials straight, I would be more than willing.’ And I am so happy to be back in this defense with him, for real.”
Defensive tackle Solomon Thomas and safety Tony Adams also have ties to the Saleh-era Jets and the Titans have brought in a number of players who played for offensive coordinator Brian Daboll when Daboll was the head coach of the Giants. They’ll be hoping that history leads to strong results on the field.
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