Shyheim Carter, a defensive back, has been released seven times by NFL teams, and he has not appeared in an NFL regular-season game in the three years since finishing his college career at Alabama.
But Carter has not given up. He has been with the Tennessee Titans throughout the offseason program and training camp this year, and he will most likely play in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings.
“Just trying to really create a role on the team for myself,” Carter told ESPN’s Turron Davenport this week. “I’m just trying to figure out my role on this team. “I can do whatever they ask of me.”
Carter arrived at Alabama as a prep cornerback and, in 50 games and 23 starts, primarily played the star position, a hybrid position similar to a strongside linebacker who can cover wide receivers.
Carter strives to maintain the versatility value of the pros at safety, slot corner, and even outside corner.
“It’s just a different view of it all,” Carter said. “But I’ve been in that position before, in that situation before, so it just all.
However, Carter faces another uphill battle to make the Titans’ regular-season roster. The depth chart shows him as the third-string safety, with five other players listed as first- or second-teamers.
Carter led the Titans with five tackles in Tennessee’s 23-17 preseason loss to the Chicago Bears last week, while also playing the second-most defensive snaps (39). He also participated in 10 special teams plays.
Carter is “just dependable,” Tennessee defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said this week. “I believe he tried to play physical on Saturday and show up in the run game. I got to clean up some tackling stuff with him. A little undersized guy going in there to tackle at times comes into play, but the ability to show up, get out of the post, and make plays.”
Carter joined the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the New York Jets in 2020. After being waived by the Jets at the end of training camp, Carter spent seven weeks on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad in 2020.
Carter attended the Houston Texans’ rookie minicamp in 2021 as a tryout player and was signed by the team. Carter was released by the Texans at the end of the preseason, but he was later re-signed to the practice squad, where he spent the first five weeks of the season.
Carter joined Tennessee for the first time on December 30, 2021, and remained on the practice squad for one week. He returned to the Titans for the offseason program, training camp, and preseason in 2022 before being waived on August 22.
Carter returned to Tennessee on October 4 for a six-week stint on the practice squad, and he remained there for the final week of the season.
Carter re-signed with the Titans on January 10 to pursue another NFL opportunity.
Tennessee and Minnesota will play an NFL preseason game at 7 p.m. CDT on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
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