The Tennessee Titans have spent the offseason trying to signal a fresh start. New faces, new voices, new direction - the kind of overhaul that usually comes with a team trying to climb out of the rebuilding mud.
But for all the change, one problem keeps staring them in the face: the offensive line.
That matters because so much of Tennessee’s next chapter is tied to second-year quarterback Cam Ward. He was merely solid in the Titans’ preseason win over the San Francisco 49ers, a game that had more of a “got away with one” feel than anything else. And if the line around him doesn’t come together soon, Ward’s growth could get slowed down in a hurry.
The concern is simple. Tennessee still doesn’t have its starting offensive line locked in across the board, and with the regular season just weeks away, that’s a bad place to be. Fernando Carmona offers some hope, but he’s a rookie and only one piece of a much bigger puzzle.
Ward deserves some of the blame too. Like a lot of young quarterbacks, he can hang onto the ball too long. But that doesn’t change the bigger picture: talent-wise, this is still a unit under construction.
If nothing changes, Ward could take a step back in year two, or at best make only a small move forward. Pro Football Focus didn’t exactly brighten the outlook either, ranking the Titans’ line 29th. Here’s how PFF framed it:
"Peter Skoronski is one of the best guards in football and is continuing to get better, earning a career-high 79.0 PFF grade in 2025, while JC Latham has shown potential, improving his PFF grade from 61.8 as a rookie to 65.5 last year. There are big question marks at all three other spots on the line, though, with Dan Moore Jr. having just one season with a PFF grade above 65.0, Cordell Volson none above 60.0 and Austin Schlottmann never totaling more than 400 snaps in a single season.
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That leaves Tennessee in a tough spot. The interior is still being sorted out, and the tackle pairing of Dan Moore Jr. and JC Latham still has plenty to prove in 2026. The first preseason game only made that clearer.
There’s a reason the league’s best offensive lines usually belong to some of its best teams. Quarterback play affects the picture, sure, but this Titans front simply doesn’t look strong enough from one side to the other.
If Tennessee decides it needs help, Kevin Zeitler could be a familiar option. He played for the team in 2025 and could slide back in on the interior without much fuss.
The problem is timing. At this stage of the offseason, making a meaningful move is far more difficult than it was a few weeks ago.
Mike Borgonzi can still work the trade market, though that route usually carries more risk than free agency. For now, Tennessee may have to live with what it has. But if the line keeps playing this way and Ward starts feeling the effects once the regular season begins, the Titans will have no choice but to make a serious change.
In Other News...
Titans Bubble Players Just Changed The Roster Cut Debate
The Titans second preseason win, a 19-16 decision over the Seahawks, gave the coaching staff a little more to sort through as roster cuts approach on Aug. 30. In a game that often serves as a final audition for players on the bubble, a few names made their case while others left the kind of tape teams cant ignore.
Chester Rogers helped his standing with a promising outing, and Joey Slye also looked sharp in a role where every kick matters this time of year. On the other side of the ledger, Malik Willis and CorDale Flott did not help themselves, which is exactly the kind of uneven night that can turn a straightforward cut-down process into a much tougher debate for Tennessee. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Make A Late Camp Linebacker Move Worth Watching
The Titans are making another late-summer adjustment at linebacker, turning to Reid Carrico after placing Milo Eifler on injured reserve. Carrico arrives as an undrafted rookie who was recently waived by the Browns, and Tennessee is giving him a look at a time when every rep matters and roster spots are shrinking.
Carricos appeal is pretty straightforward for a team trying to sort through its depth: he showed some defensive ability in a brief stint with Cleveland, and he brought a solid college rsum to the table after transferring from Ohio State to West Virginia. Whether the Titans stash him on the practice squad or see enough to keep him in the mix for their rotation, this is the kind of move that can quietly shape the last days of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Defense Gave Fans An Early Preseason Problem To Worry About
The Titans had little to feel good about on the defensive side of the ball in their second preseason game against the Seahawks, where the starters were on the field long enough to leave an early concern hanging over the rest of August. Tennessee went into halftime trailing 16-9, and all of the scoring came from Randy Bullocks steady work on field goals while the offense remained uneven, even if Malik Willis looked better than he did in the previous game.
The bigger worry was the way Seattles backup offense moved the ball against Tennessees starting defense, capped by two touchdowns and a 69-yard Jacardia Wright run that quickly made the rounds online. Treylon Burks still was looking for his first catch of the night, and while preseason results do not define a season, this was the sort of uneven defensive showing that can stick with a team for a while. [Read more 🡒]