Caleb Farley isn't the same player he was when the Tennessee Titans picked him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He knows this. He's not hiding it.

Heading into the final year of his rookie contract after missing all of last season and most of the two before that with an unending series of injuries and tragedies, Farley is embracing the player and person he's become.

"As far as do I think I’ll ever be the athlete I was in college coming out before all these nerve things? No," Farley said. "But do I believe that I have more than enough to get the job done at a high level? Absolutely."

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Farley has only played in 12 games with just two starts in three professional seasons. Back issues that date back to college have kept Farley off the field since November 2022, and before that a knee injury led to him missing all but three games of his rookie season. Farley has generally underwhelmed when he's been on the field too; he's allowed a passer rating of 145.1 when thrown at in his career.

Between the injuries derailing his career and last summer's house explosion that resulted in his father's death, Farley said he's been to some dark mental places. As recently as February, Farley says he thought he'd never play football again. But here he's been, throughout the spring and early summer, taking reps at cornerback in Titans practices, making plays in man coverage as the Titans envisioned him being able to when they picked him No. 22 overall.

Farley credits new teammate Chidobe Awuzie for keeping him accountable and focused when he feels his mind drifting to the darker thoughts. He says spending time with new teammates and coaches who have Super Bowl rings has helped him with his approach. He says he's confident new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson will be able to find the best way to deploy him and take advantage of his remaining talents.

Sometimes, when the emotion of his circumstances bubble up, Farley says he'll put on his pads to release the tension. He doesn't have an answer for what he reflects on in those moments, but he says his goal is to reach a point where he's thinking about being loose, being aggressive and being reckless with his body on the field.

Because being back on the field is the only thing Farley can ask for right now.

"Like a lot that’s happened to me in my life, you have to accept it," Farley said about embracing his new normal. "You can’t control it. I don’t know. I’ve leaned on my faith and it’s kept me from very dark places. Even though I was in dark places. I give all credit to God just for me being sane and being able to sit here and talk and look you guys in the eyes. It’s been very low points. But that’s all in the past. I’m grateful to be here. That’s why you see the smile. I’m so grateful to be here and be able to smell this grass and play football."

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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans: Caleb Farley thought injuries might end NFL career