Why the Tennessee Titans Are the AFC’s Sleeping Giants
The Tennessee Titans are coming off a horrible season. The situation in Tennessee has rapidly gone downhill after they traded star receiver A.J. Brown. Brown was just the first domino to fall before the general manager who traded him, Jon Robinson, was fired after Brown exploded against the Titans. To make matters worse, it seems that the head coach, Mike Vrabel, was not looped in on the decision to trade Brown. After the Titans’ brass fired Robinson, Vrabel followed soon after. Unfortunately for the Titans, Brown went on to win a Super Bowl, and Vrabel coached the Patriots to one after one season as head coach.
All was not lost for the Titans, though. Beginning in 2025 with the first overall pick, they were able to snag their franchise quarterback in Cam Ward. After a tumultuous start to the season, the Titans fired head coach Bryan Callahan mid-season. Despite the dumpster fire of a season, the Titans have found themselves in a position to run the table in the next two to three years. Let’s look at some of the factors that could prove to be crucial in a rapid turnaround.
Cam Ward
Cam Ward was by far and away the hottest quarterback prospect coming into the 2025 draft. After having two spectacular seasons at Washington State, Ward transferred to Miami for his final season of college football. Miami ended the season 10-2, with its two losses coming against ACC rivals Georgia Tech and Syracuse, which kept them out of the College Football Playoffs. The future first overall pick shone throughout the season, finishing with 305 completions, 4,313 passing yards, 39 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. A phenomenal season for a phenomenal player.
To no surprise, the Titans selected Ward. The former Hurricane did everything he could in his first season, finishing with decent stats on a talent-starved team with 323 completions, 3,169 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Despite all of the offensive shortcomings, Ward still managed to make plays. The most experienced wide receiver was Calvin Ridley. Ridley has been on a career downturn since his All-Pro season in 2020. Ridley still has some gas in the tank, but went down with a broken fibula and missed the rest of the season. With Ridley out, the only players left in the receiving room were rookies and players on their last legs. Chig Okonkwo ended the season as the Titans’ leading receiver with 56 receptions for 560 yards and two touchdowns. Rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike both had flashes that proved they belong in the Titans' long-term plans. Ridley is a cut candidate this year, with both the general manager and head coach who signed him gone.
Finally, to cap off Ward’s rookie season was the lack of an offensive line. Ward tied Geno Smith in most sacks taken at 55. Tied to his sacks is his tendency to hold the ball. Ward averaged three seconds to throw. Three seconds isn’t too bad when you consider that Caleb Williams took the longest average to throw in the league at 3.20 seconds. The difference is that Williams recorded only 24 sacks. Combined with a lack of receiving talent, 2025 should be Ward’s worst season as a pro for the foreseeable future. He has the size, the arm, and the intellect to be a franchise quarterback. It’s only up from here for the young star.
A New Head Coach with Lots to Prove
The Titans were able to lock up Robert Saleh early in the head coach carousel. A tremendous pick for a well-respected coach. Saleh had his pick as to where he wanted to go, so picking the Titans is kind of a surprise, but a welcome one. The last time we saw Saleh as a head coach, he was in charge of the dumpster fire Jets. He spent three seasons with the Jets, coaching them to a 20-36 record. His Jets tenure was marred by offensive struggles, primarily at the quarterback position. The Jets selected Zach Wilson as the second pick of the 2021 draft. Wilson never developed into the quarterback the Jets wanted, and under high expectations, he couldn’t turn the corner. The Jets then signed future Hall of Famer and former MVP Aaron Rodgers. After a hopeful start, Rodgers tore his Achilles, leaving the Jets with Wilson. Finally, after some office politics, Saleh was fired in 2024. Under Saleh, despite their offensive struggles, the defense was consistently a top-10 or top-five unit. It should come as no surprise that Saleh’s defense was so good; he is an accomplished defensive coordinator. 2026 might be his magnum opus season as a coordinator, as he coached a hospital defense to the playoffs on the 49ers. Having a player like Jeffery Simmons under a coach like Saleh is something to be excited about.
Even though the Titans locked down a defensive head coach, they didn’t forget about the offensive side of the ball. The Titans signed former Giants head coach Brian Daboll as their offensive coordinator. Daboll’s stint in New York didn’t pan out well, and it ended with a midseason firing and some very unsavory rumors. Daboll may be a better coordinator than a head coach, but it’s too early to tell. One thing is for sure: he can coach a quarterback. Daboll was the offensive coordinator for the Bills when Josh Allen broke out, and Daniel Jones had one of his best seasons as a pro with Daboll as head coach. Still too early to tell, but he clearly wanted Jaxson Dart, and Dart has shown potential as a franchise quarterback. There are other pieces of the offense that Daboll has to work with. In addition to the rookie receivers, Tony Pollard has been phenomenal since signing with the Titans. I think that with a quarterback like Ward, Daboll should do what he does best.
All the Assets a Team Could Ask For
The Titans find themselves in a great place to start a rebuild. To start, they have the fifth pick of the 2026 draft. They likely draft a stud here, but the potential exists for them to trade back. It would have to be the right deal, and it also depends on who the Titans want from the draft. The fifth pick has huge potential for a franchise player, and the Titans are devoid of talent on both sides of the ball, which is why I see them using the pick here. If they can turn the pick into another first-round pick next year, that would be ideal, but we’ll see what new general manager Mike Borgonzi has cooked up. To make things even better, the Titans have $100 million in cap space. With so much cap space, the Titans have flexibility and, with their new head coach, the vision to attract free agents. This is just the starting point, and it doesn't factor in any trades they might have up their sleeve.
