If you spent any time in Nashville between 2014 and 2022, you knew the "Dad" of the offensive line. Taylor Lewan wasn't just a left tackle; he was a whole mood. From chugging beers out of catfish at Predators games to protecting the blindside with a nasty streak that would make old-school coaches weep, he defined an era of Tennessee Titans football.
But honestly? The way it ended was kinda brutal.
One minute he's the highest-paid tackle in the league, and the next, he's filing lawsuits against world-renowned surgeons while transitioning into a full-time media mogul. If you're looking for a simple "he retired because he got old" story, you're looking at the wrong guy. This is about a 6-foot-7 mauler who became the face of a franchise, only to have his body—and specifically one stubborn right knee—betray him right as the Titans were hitting their stride.
The 77 Legacy: Why Lewan Was More Than a Blocker
When the Titans took Lewan 11th overall in 2014 out of Michigan, the pick was a little controversial. People were worried about his "character" and some legal noise back in Ann Arbor. Turns out, he was exactly the kind of "brick-by-brick" guy Mike Vrabel would eventually fall in love with.
He didn't just play tackle. He played it with a level of violence that shifted the identity of the team.
Basically, before Lewan and Jack Conklin (and later Rodger Saffold) arrived, the Titans were a bit soft. Lewan changed that. He made it cool to be an offensive lineman in Tennessee. He went to three straight Pro Bowls from 2016 to 2018. During that stretch, he was arguably the best left tackle in the AFC. He was the guy leading the charge for Derrick Henry, opening lanes that allowed "King Henry" to become a household name.
You've probably seen the highlights of him sprinting 40 yards downfield to celebrate a touchdown. That wasn't just for the cameras. That was his genuine energy.
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The Numbers That Matter
- Drafted: 1st Round, 11th Overall (2014)
- Pro Bowls: 3 (2016, 2017, 2018)
- Starts: 100 out of 105 games played
- Career Touchdowns: 1 (Yes, he caught a pass against the Colts in 2016, and it was glorious).
The Injury Spiral and the Dr. Andrews Lawsuit
Football is a game of "what ifs," and Lewan's career is a masterclass in how fast things can go south. Everything changed on October 18, 2020. A Sunday game against the Houston Texans. Lewan went down with a torn ACL in his right knee. He tweeted "No Bad Days" and promised to come back better.
He did come back in 2021, but he wasn't the same. He later admitted it was a mental and physical grind just to line up.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Week 2 of the 2022 season. Same knee. Another torn ACL.
This is where things get messy and why he isn't in a Titans uniform in 2026. In May 2023, Lewan filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the famous Dr. James Andrews and the Andrews Institute. He alleged that the initial 2020 surgery was botched, leading to "severe and permanent" damage that essentially ended his career prematurely.
He claimed they didn't use the right graft and failed to repair his medial meniscus properly. It’s a heavy accusation in the sports world, especially against a doctor who is basically the "Godfather" of sports medicine. It highlights a side of the NFL we don't usually see—the terrifying reality of "failed" recoveries and the legal battles that follow when a multi-million dollar body stops working.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2019 Suspension
If you mention Taylor Lewan to a casual fan, they usually bring up the four-game suspension in 2019. They call him a "cheater."
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Here is the truth: Lewan failed a test for Ostarine, a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM). He didn't hide in a hole when it happened. He posted an emotional video, crying, explaining that he’d never knowingly taken anything. He even took a polygraph test—and passed it—to prove he didn't intentionally cheat.
He eventually tracked the contamination back to a supplement he was taking, but the NFL’s "strict liability" policy doesn't care about intent. If it's in your system, you're out. That suspension cost him about $4 million and a lot of sleep. It also marked the beginning of a rocky few years where the "invincible" Taylor Lewan started to look human.
Life After the Titans: The "Bussin' With The Boys" Takeover
Usually, when a Pro Bowl tackle retires, he buys a ranch and disappears. Not Taylor.
Along with former teammate Will Compton, he started Bussin' With The Boys under the Barstool Sports umbrella while he was still playing. At the time, it was a huge risk. NFL coaches generally hate it when players have "outside distractions."
But it was a genius move.
By the time the Titans released him in February 2023 to save nearly $15 million in cap space, Lewan already had a second career waiting for him. He didn't need to beg for a broadcasting job; he owned the platform. In 2026, the podcast is a juggernaut. They've interviewed everyone from active superstars to Mike Vrabel (who famously joked on the pod about a certain body part and a Super Bowl ring).
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He has successfully pivoted from the guy who protects the quarterback to the guy who tells the stories that the NFL usually tries to keep behind closed doors.
The Bottom Line on Taylor Lewan's Career
Was he a Hall of Famer? Probably not. The injuries cut his peak too short for Canton. But was he the most important offensive lineman in the Titans' Nashville era? Absolutely.
He was the heartbeat of those teams that went from 3-13 bottom-feeders to AFC Championship contenders. He brought a "nasty" identity back to Nashville that the team has honestly struggled to replace since he left. You can see it in the way the Titans have struggled at left tackle over the last few seasons—finding a guy who can play at a Pro Bowl level and lead a locker room is nearly impossible.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Athletes:
- The Business of Availability: Lewan’s career shows that in the NFL, your best ability is availability. Once the "injury prone" label sticks, even a Pro Bowl resume won't save your roster spot.
- Brand Building: If you're an athlete, start your "Phase 2" while you're still in "Phase 1." Lewan’s podcast gave him all the leverage when the Titans cut him.
- Medical Diligence: The lawsuit against Dr. Andrews is a reminder to every athlete (pro or amateur) that second opinions and deep research into surgical procedures are mandatory, not optional.
If you want to understand the current state of the Tennessee Titans, you have to look back at what they lost when #77 walked out the door. He wasn't just a tackle; he was the culture.
Next Steps to Explore:
- Check out the Bussin' With The Boys back catalog for the 2019 episodes where Lewan discusses his suspension in real-time.
- Compare the Titans' offensive line statistics from 2016-2018 against their 2023-2025 metrics to see the "Lewan Effect" in cold, hard data.
- Follow the ongoing legal updates regarding the Andrews Institute lawsuit, as it may set a massive precedent for how NFL players handle surgical complications in the future.