Free Agent D-Lineman Signs with Raiders

The Tennessee Titans set an NFL record during the 2021 season when they used 91 different players over the course of 17 games.

With offseason roster limits set at 90, simple math made it clear that all of them would not return for 2022.

Tuesday, another one moved on. Defensive lineman Kyle Peko signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, who announced the move.

A journeyman who appeared in 13 games during his first five NFL seasons, Peko set a career-high when he took part in eight contests for the Titans in 2021. Those appearances included the first three starts of his career. He finished with 10 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, five quarterback hits and one forced fumble – all career-highs.

Peko, 28, signed with the Titans at the start of training camp and was waived at the start of the regular season. He returned as a member of the practice squad in late October, was elevated to the gameday roster – and made his Tennessee debut – on Nov. 14 against New Orleans and was signed to the active roster four days later.

He ultimately logged 157 snaps on defense (sixth among the team’s defensive linemen) after franchise officials had shuffled through a number of other defensive linemen such as Amani Bledsoe, Woodrow Hamilton and Anthony Rush.

Peko capped the season with his first career playoff appearance in the divisional round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Undrafted out of Oregon State in 2016, he spent most of his first four years in the NFL with the Denver Broncos but also had brief tenures with the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts.

Peko opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns and remained unsigned throughout the 2021 offseason until the Titans finally gave him a chance. He did enough for Tennessee that he did not have to wait this year.