Titans head coach Brian Callahan said Wednesday that Okonkwo and Josh Whyle are "two very different kind of tight ends" and both will have roles in the offense, Buck Reising of 104.5 The Zone Nashville reports.
Callahan classified Whyle is more of an in-line "Y" tight end and Okonkwo as more of an "F" (move) tight end, which perhaps hints at the latter being more involved than the former as a pass catcher. The team's initial preseason depth chart lists both as starters, a move that attracted some attention after Whyle played only 156 snaps in 11 games as a rookie in 2023. Okonkwo, meanwhile, took 692 snaps in 17 games, but he struggled for much of the season before improving late in the campaign and recording 61 percent of his yardage over the final seven weeks (322 out of 528 yards). His production was also heavily back-weighted during his 2022 rookie campaign, but in that season, Okonkwo simply didn't get much playing time early on. Callahan's quote makes it sound like another leap forward in playing time is unlikely for Okonkwo in Year 3.