It’s that time of year when everyone in the NFL is trying to get their rosters down to 53 players. Some players fans love are going to get cut, and some players people don’t like are going to stay. The Tennessee Titans aren’t any different, as some good players will be cut from the team. One player who has garnered the attention of many fans is wide receiver Xavier Restrepo. The rookie free agent out of the University of Miami was the main playmaker for number one overall pick, quarterback Cameron Ward, and Ward mentioned to every team he met with that he wanted Restrepo to be brought in. Well, the Titans did so, but unfortunately, he was not selected for the team and was released, despite some fans’ pleas to keep him on the roster due to the magic he and Ward created as Hurricanes at the University of Miami in the 2024 season. However, the reality is that he wasn’t all the Titans wanted him to be on their roster.
Now that we know he is not on the roster, plenty will be asking why he did not make the team. Well, one reason is special teams. Restrepo is not one of the top wide receivers on the Titans team. And because he is not, he has to contribute to special teams. In the preseason, Restrepo never really had any game reps returning or covering kicks or punts. His fellow rookie wide receivers, Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor, were out there on special teams in some form or fashion. With limited space on rosters, each NFL team needs players who can do multiple things if needed and can do them well. With Restrepo, it was deemed he could not do those other things well enough outside of being a wide receiver.
Along with not contributing on special teams like other wide receivers, it is also worth mentioning again that Restrepo was an undrafted free agent. When you are brought in this way, you have to be a star not only in preseason games but in practices as well. The hill to climb is a little steeper for undrafted free agents than for those drafted, because there is not as much money invested in an undrafted free agent as in a player the team drafted. The drafted player will get more opportunities based on that alone. Restrepo had some standout plays during training camp and the preseason games, but he did not perform well enough to make the Titans consider him for their roster.
Restrepo may clear waivers and end up on the Titans’ practice squad potentially. And that could lead to him eventually getting a shot with the Titans or someone else if a wide receiver is needed. However, at this time, his journey to make the Titans’ active roster has come to an end.