Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh explained why starting right tackle JC Latham is absent from Titans mandatory minicamp, and he doesn’t seem overly concerned about the absence.
Latham is dealing with a minor injury and the Titans are holding him out of practice for precaution.
“Yeah, he’s dealing with something,” Saleh said in a short response when asked about Latham.
Latham is the only major Titans contributor who wasn’t on the field for the first day of mandatory minicamp on June 16. Veterans like Jeffery Simmons and John Franklin-Myers made their first appearance in pads for a practice open to media, but both were limited in how many on-field reps they took. For the most part, the Titans are opting to ease young players and experienced players alike into the offseason program as to not over-exert players during a time of year that Saleh has been adamant doesn’t matter very much to his evaluation.
One example is the way the Titans have treated first-round pick Carnell Tate, who missed one day of practice with a minor injury out of extreme caution but was back on the field two days later.
Latham was the Titans’ first-round pick in 2024. He started at left tackle as a rookie before bumping back to the right side, his natural position from college, in 2025. Latham missed time in 2025 with a hip injury initially sustained during training camp that lingered into the early months of the season. Across two years with the Titans, Latham has appeared in and started 30 games.
Jeffery Simmons injury update
Jeffery Simmons also has a minor injury he’s working through, Saleh said.
“He’s dealing with a couple of things,” Saleh told Nashville reporters on June 17.
Saleh’s plan for Simmons in 2027 is to reduce the number of defensive snaps in an effort to get the best of him when he is on the field.
“If there is a 60-play game and Jeffery plays 40 of them, the hope is that it’s 40 passes. That’s the goal.”
Saleh clarified that Simmons is also a good run defender, but the goal is to get him on passing situations where he can be 1-on-1 on third down and two-minute situations.
Femi Oladejo injury update
Femi Oladejo hasn’t been on the field during minicamp as he continues to be “nursing an injury.”
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why isn’t JC Latham at Titans minicamp? Robert Saleh updates
