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Titans claim five players off waivers on Aug. 31

9/1/2026

Summary

Titans Claim Players

The Tennessee Titans claimed five players off waivers on Aug. 31, 2026.
The claimed players are LB Owen Pappoe, DB Melvin Smith, DT Nazir Stackhouse, S Terrell Burgess, and OT James Hudson.
The Titans waived safeties Jerrick Reed II and Erick Hallett II, receiver Xavier Restrepo, LB Mohamoud Diabate, and OT Austin Deculus.
Former No. 33 overall pick Will Levis was released and went unclaimed on the waiver wire.
The waiver deadline expired at 1 p.m. ET on Aug. 31, 2026, and only the Jets and Titans filed among top five teams.

Summary

NFL Waiver Rules

Teams must clear players with fewer than four accrued seasons through waivers before adding them to practice squads.
Veterans with four or more accrued seasons become free agents immediately upon release.
Waiver priority follows the 2026 NFL Draft order for the first three weeks.
After Week 4, priority switches to the reverse order of current league standings.
Practice squads may contain up to 16 players, including six unlimited-veteran slots.

History

Historical Context

The modern NFL waiver and free-agency rules trace back to the March 15, 1993 settlement negotiated by the NFL Players Association and Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, which introduced unrestricted free agency after four accrued seasons and projected $1.5 billion in extra player earnings through 2000. That flexibility underpins today’s 2026 waiver deadline, where the Tennessee Titans claimed five players and the Dallas Cowboys reshaped their roster.

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Titans Claim Players

The Tennessee Titans claimed five players off waivers on Aug. 31, 2026.
The claimed players are LB Owen Pappoe, DB Melvin Smith, DT Nazir Stackhouse, S Terrell Burgess, and OT James Hudson.
The Titans waived safeties Jerrick Reed II and Erick Hallett II, receiver Xavier Restrepo, LB Mohamoud Diabate, and OT Austin Deculus.
Former No. 33 overall pick Will Levis was released and went unclaimed on the waiver wire.
The waiver deadline expired at 1 p.m. ET on Aug. 31, 2026, and only the Jets and Titans filed among top five teams.

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