NASHVILLE – Truman Jones is used to thinking fast, and playing fast.
When the Titans signed him off of New England's practice squad last October, Jones pretty much locked himself in a room and studied his new playbook when he wasn't at the facility meeting with coaches, and practicing.
It paid off, as Jones immediately earned a role on his new team.
This offseason, when the Titans made a coaching change, it meant Jones would have to make a transition again. In Robert Saleh's defense, Jones returned to his college roots and began again playing with his hand in the dirt, as a defensive end.
It's a good thing Jones went to a pretty good college.
"I went to Harvard, so obviously think a lot, so I'm used to analyzing and processing a lot," Jones said with a smile when discussing the team's playing style. "Here, you put your hand in the ground, and you just have to go. There's a few things you can look at, and then you can react fast after that."
Jones, who graduated from Harvard University with a degree in biomedical engineering, made Tennessee's 53-man roster earlier this week.
The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder admitted he had to sweat it out.
Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chiefs after the 2023 NFL Draft, Jones is now on his third team, after serving on practice squads and active rosters for those teams for 3 ½ years before the Titans signed him last year, before rewarding him with news he'd made the team in 2026 on Sunday.
"I felt like it was a surprise for sure," Jones said. "We have a great room with a lot of veterans, and it was very competitive. I caught myself looking at the names and thinking, "How am I going to make this? But you put your head down every day and work and end up here."
Jones made it because the Titans have liked what they've seen in him since he first arrived in Nashville.
Jones recorded 2.5 sacks in the 2026 preseason, after playing in nine games in 2025, when he tallied 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, five quarterback pressures and two tackles for a loss during the second half of last season.
"One thing you're going to find out about us is if you can rush the passer, you've got a home here," Saleh said. "And Truman has gotten so much better in such a short amount of time. He's shown his ability to be dynamic in pass-rush. He's gotten a lot better against the run. He's not where he needs to be to be a staple on that third down crew that rushes the passer consistently, but he's an ascending player for sure."
Jones vowed to not get comfortable – he's seen teammates cut during the season, and he has the experience of going from one team to the next in-season as well.
But Jones said he's comfortable with the scheme in Tennessee, and he wants to help any way he can.
"I feel like I have a ways to go, and I'm looking for improvement every day," he said. "Any issues that I come across, they are usually solved by going fast and playing violent."
