Taylor Lewan expects Tennessee Titans to release him. Then a retirement decision will loom

Taylor Lewan expects to be released from the Tennessee Titans sometime this offseason, he said for an article posted on the Titans' team website on Friday morning.

It's not the first time he said that he has announced that expectation publicly. What comes next, Lewan said, is more uncertain.

"Then I have to go into a situation that I've never been in in my entire life," Lewan said on TennesseeTitans.com. "I have to weigh the pros and cons of playing football, or not playing football."

"... If I was going to play another year, my preferred spot would be where I've been for the last nine years. I'm a loyal guy, and it would feel very uncomfortable for me to wear a different uniform."

Lewan was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and has been the franchise left tackle since then. He finished the season on injured reserve with knee injuries in 2020 and 2022, and the Titans have struggled in his absence.

GENTRY ESTES: A.J. Brown and Tennessee Titans have moved on. You should do the same

More:Tennessee Titans hired Tim Kelly to fix an offense Mike Vrabel isn't convinced is broken

SUPER BOWL: Why the Tennessee Titans are sending a woman wrongly imprisoned for 27 years to the Super Bowl

The three-time Pro Bowl tackle, 31, is due $14.84 million next season on the final year of his contract, according to Spotrac, but it's non-guaranteed and Lewan said he'd be willing to have a conversation about a lesser salary. Tennessee is $23.7 million over the cap, according to Spotrac, but can restructure contracts or release veterans, including Lewan.

Lewan said that if retirement is the right option, he would make the decision and stand by it.

"I am not [one of] these guys that is going to retire and unretire. I am not going to do that," Lewan said. "I am going to make a decision, and I'm going to stick with that decision. But I am happy either way, and I think that is the most beautiful thing I can be given in my life. Regardless of what decision I make, I will truly find peace and joy in both decisions."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Taylor Lewan: Tennessee Titans release expected, retirement possible