The 2026 schedule was officially released on Thursday night, cementing where and when each team will be playing throughout the course of the regular season.
For Tennessee Vols fans that double as Tennessee Titans fans, there will be multiple opportunities to see a handful of different VFLs return to the Volunteer State for a matchup against the in-state professional team.
Some of these are tricky to project this early in the offseason. While some players are established members of their rosters, others are fighting for spots within the franchise. Some of these former Vols are undrafted free agents, while others are practice squad players. This can make it a bit difficult to project who will be on the traveling unit several months from now.
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Still, though, here are all the players who will and could return to the Volunteer State this fall:
Aug. 23 – Seahawks at Titans (Preseason)
- Former UT WR Velus Jones Jr. spent parts of the 2025 season on the Seahawks’ practice squad, but did get some special teams reps in during the Super Bowl. Following the championship win, Jones signed a reserve/futures contract with Seattle. While we won’t know what Jones’ status looks like as an active player next season, this game being a preseason outing means that he could see the field in Nashville.
TBD – Bears at Titans (Preseason)
- VFL and former first-round draft pick Darnell Wright has cemented himself as a key part of Chicago’s offensive line in front of Caleb Williams. But with this game being the final preseason game of the three-week slate, there’s a good chance that Wright might not even see the field. We’ll see if the Bears run out their starters for one final dress rehearsal when Chicago rolls into Nashville this fall.
Oct. 11 – Texans at Titans (Week 5)
- The only former Vol on the Texans is defensive lineman Dominic Bailey, who signed with Houston as an undrafted free agent following the 2026 NFL Draft in April. There’s no guarantee that Bailey will be on the active roster when the Texans head to Nashville in October, but perhaps he could still be with the organization on the practice squad.
Oct. 25 – Browns at Titans (Week 7)
- The Browns have two offensive playmakers from the Josh Heupel era on their roster, with running back Dylan Sampson and wide receiver Cedric Tillman. Sampson is a rotational running back for Cleveland, while Tillman’s spot could be pushed into the background a bit after the Browns drafted two receivers in the first and second rounds last month.
Nov. 15 – Jaguars at Titans (Week 10)
- This one is a bit tricky, with Jacksonville having two former Vols that have no guarantee of being on the roster when the Jags roll into Nashville. On one hand, the Jags signed former UT OL Jerome Carvin to a reserve/futures contract in January. He spent the 2025 season with the Jags’ practice squad. On the other hand, former Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar signed with Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent last month. We’ll see what his status looks like as the summer unfolds.
Dec. 6 – Commanders at Titans (Week 13)
- Barring an unlikely spot hosting in the playoffs, this will be the final chance for a former Tennessee player to return to the state against the Titans this season. The Commanders will bring fifth-round draft pick Joshua Josephs back to Tennessee, who projects to be a rotational player in Dan Quinn’s defense. Former Vol defensive lineman Shy Tuttle is also with the Commanders, signing a one-year deal with Washington in March.
