The 12-7 Week 3 loss to the New York Giants was a tough pill to swallow for the Tennessee Titans. Early in the contest, it was feared that rookie guard Fernando Carmona may have suffered a serious ankle injury. However, the organization can breathe a sigh of relief on Monday thanks to the latest update.
Reports indicate that the 24-year-old offensive lineman sustained an ankle sprain against the Giants, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Carmona is expected to miss some time, but he will eventually return this season and could avoid a trip to the IR.
“Sources: Titans starting G Fernando Carmona, who was carted off on Sunday, suffered an ankle sprain vs. the Giants and will miss a few weeks,” Schultz reported. “The 5th-round rookie out of Arkansas has started all 3 games this season.”
That's about as close to the best news possible the Titans could have gotten for Carmona. The former Razorbacks star turned out to be a surprise steal in the 2026 NFL Draft after outright winning the starting right guard role in training camp. He's played decently well as a fifth-round rookie, and Tennessee will look forward to his eventual return.
In fact, the offensive line in general has been a bright spot in the Titans' lackluster offense. The team's o-line ranks second in the league in pass-blocking efficiency through three games, per Zach Lyons of the “Football and Other F Words” podcast, and “Cover Two” on 1045 The Zone.
“Heading into Monday Night Football, the Titans OL officially ranks 2nd (90.8) in Pass Blocking Efficiency for the regular season. Yesterday, with a starter out, they scored a 95.8. They allowed 3 total pressures, 0 sacks (Slater 1, Skoronski 2). On the season, the OL has allowed 17 total pressures, including just 1 Sack.”
With Carmona set to miss some time, Jackson Slater is expected to fill in as the starting right guard. He and the rest of the Titans' offensive line will have a chance to continue playing at a high level in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens.