Titans waive DT C.J. Ravenell from injured reserve via injury settlement

The Tennessee Titans made a minor roster adjustment on Monday, waiving defensive tackle C.J. Ravenell from injured reserve via an injury settlement. The transaction matters less for headline-grabbing stakes than for what it indicates about roster planning during the offseason-to-regular-season transition, when teams try to balance depth with eligibility and availability rules.

According to the report, the waiver followed an earlier step in which Ravenell was placed on injured reserve under an injury designation. He then reverted back to injured reserve after clearing waivers unclaimed. The settlement process effectively concluded that IR designation path, and the team’s next step depends on how the terms of the settlement affect any future eligibility to rejoin Tennessee.

Ravenell is a veteran of the professional pipeline who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2024. The report traces his start in the league to the Baltimore Ravens, where he spent the 2024 season on the practice squad. That context is important because it frames his two-step NFL development arc, from UDFA practice squad work to later opportunities on a new roster.

Tennessee later brought Ravenell in on a reserve/futures contract in January 2025, giving him a chance to compete for a roster role during the offseason. The report says he appeared in 14 Titans games last season, including one start. For a defensive tackle, those snaps typically reflect rotational use and depth value, the kind of role that can lead to opportunities even when a player is not an every-down starter.

The settlement-related waiver also highlights how NFL roster management can look quiet on the surface but still be consequential. When a team waives a player from injured reserve, it can change the timing of when that player becomes available to other clubs, and it can alter whether his return to the original team is immediately feasible or delayed by the settlement’s waiting period. In practice, it becomes a lever teams use to reduce long-term IR occupancy while maintaining options for later reintegration.

From Tennessee’s perspective, the move is a reminder that the defensive interior remains a frequent target for churn. Even when a team has identifiable depth pieces, injuries and camp evaluations can force small but meaningful decisions like this one. For Ravenell, the path forward is now tied to the window created by the settlement and whether Tennessee chooses to add him back at the appropriate time.