T'Vondre Sweat's rookie season wasn't a legendary one, but inspired belief that he's only just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.
The fumble forced by a strip of Joe Burrow stood as his greatest highlight, but those who watched the Titans closely this year understood Sweat was producing glimpses of a future as a force along the interior. He finished 2024 with 51 tackles (four for loss), one sack, one fumble forced and recovered, and ranked 14th among all interior defensive linemen in stops, ahead of Seattle's Leonard Williams and right behind Miami's standout defensive tackle Zach Sieler.
Those totals weren't satisfying to Sweat, who learned plenty as a rookie.
"2024 had a lot of ups and downs for me," Sweat said, via the team's official site. "100 percent I could have had a way better year. I feel like I had a decent year for my rookie year."
Decent is an accurate assessment if excellent includes Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections. Those appear to be Sweat's goals, and he admitted he'll only be able to reach them if he applies the knowledge he gained in 2024.
Chief among them: physical maintenance.
"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, , 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."
At 6-foot-4 and 366 pounds, the assumption is Sweat is referring to his diet. He admitted he realized what he puts into his body is paramount to his success and has already taken steps to improve in that area, relying on the team's nutrition coordinator for guidance.
He also expects to follow a tailored offseason training program in order to improve mobility, flexibility and explosion, three physical factors that are essential to excelling as an interior lineman in the NFL.
The Titans believe Sweat is on the right track.
"He's seen the things he can do from a production standpoint," defensive coordinator Dennard 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."
Those who understand the nuances of defensive line play would agree. Sweat is hoping to prove them right in 2025.