NASHVILLE – T'Vondre Sweat is a big man who arrived in the NFL with big expectations.
At the end of the 2024 season, the Titans defensive lineman gave himself a pretty blunt review.
"2024 had a lot of ups and downs for me," Sweat said. "100 percent I could have had a way better year. I feel like I had a decent year for my rookie year."
Sweat also offered his outlook on what's next.
"Second year," Sweat said with a smile, "is going to be a lot of great things in 2025. Next season, it's going to be exciting. I can't wait to get back."
But first, Sweat was looking forward to a quick break before getting back to work.
Sweat said he plans to spend a good chunk of his offseason working alongside defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, a veteran he gives credit for showing him the way.
A second-round draft pick by the Titans in the 2024 NFL Draft, Sweat played in all 17 games last season. He finished with 51 tackles, 23 quarterback pressures, and a sack. Sweat also had a memorable fumble recovery, stiff-arm and run late in the season, a year when he also tallied four tackles for a loss.
The year was spent learning about football, and his body.
"What did I learn most my rookie year?," Sweat said. "It's learning how to take care of my body. Learning how to sustain for 18 weeks, and my locker mate, Jeff, taught me so much about maintaining and what he does.
"But going from 12 weeks (in college) to 18 weeks (in the NFL) is a big difference, plus the level of play from college to the NFL is a big difference. I had to learn that taking care of your body is a big, big thing."
The 6-foot-4, 366-pound Sweat said he plans to focus on being even more flexible this offseason, which will help him with his mobility, and explosiveness.
Since entering the NFL he's talked regularly with the team's nutrition coordinator, Lauren Silvio, to make sure he's eating right, and taking care of himself, and that will continue this offseason, he said.
Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said Sweat gained confidence in his rookie season.
"He's seen the things he can do from a production standpoint," Wilson said of Sweat. "He understands as long as he dedicates himself to his body and his training and getting better, he knows that he can be a force to be reckoned with in this league for an extended period of time."
Sweat wants to prove Wilson right.
"I am a confident person," Sweat said. "But it's now about taking that confidence to another level."
