The Tennessee Titans finally got into the win column Sunday, outlasting the Indianapolis Colts 26-20 behind a second-half surge and a defense that forced three turnovers. And while much of the attention has gone to star wideout Carnell Tate, another rookie is starting to demand a lot more of it.
Second-round linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. is quickly becoming impossible to overlook.
Hill has stepped into the green-dot role and looked right at home, flying around the field every Sunday and giving Robert Saleh’s defense another jolt of energy. Saleh has made his philosophy clear - this group is built to be "Fast and Violent," - and Hill matched that standard against Indianapolis.
One of the clearest examples came in the second half, when the Colts tried to spring a run with a pulling tackle. Hill exploded through the gap, beat the pulling lineman to the spot and helped create a five-yard loss.
Anthony Hill got there quick, fast, and in a hurry
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/MRCVm1nYzX
- Tennessee Titans (@Titans) October 18, 2026
Hill’s calling card coming out of Texas was his athleticism, but his ability to blitz and get pressure has also started to show up. Tennessee ranks 28th in NFL blitz rate, yet when Saleh does dial it up, he has leaned more and more on the rookie linebacker. Hill has made the most of those chances, and his first career sack feels like it’s only a matter of time away.
He also showed that he can recover when a play doesn’t unfold cleanly in front of him. In the fourth quarter, Josh Downs crossed behind Hill into his zone, and the rookie stayed locked in, tracked the route and stuck right on Downs’ hip. A perfect throw and catch kept him from what might have been his first interception.
Through six games of his rookie season, Hill has already become one of the leaders of this defense. The growth has been obvious, and if he keeps developing at this pace, Nashville may not be talking about him as a rookie for much longer.
In Other News...
Titans Rework Alontae Taylor After Benching Him For A Bigger Need
After being a healthy scratch in a recent game, Alontae Taylor is back in the mix at practice as the Titans take a fresh look at where he fits best. Robert Saleh has started working Taylor into slot corner rotations, a sign that Tennessee is rethinking how to use a defender whose versatility could matter more in nickel packages than in his previous role.
The move comes with some context attached, since the defense held up well without him and the staff now has room to be deliberate about the next step. Saleh has pointed to Taylor's effort in adjusting to the nickel spot and his positive response to being benched, but the bigger question is whether that new alignment becomes a real solution for a secondary that is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Quietly Signal Concern About Their Offense Before Browns Game
The Titans are adding some extra insurance on offense ahead of Week 7, elevating running back Kelel Mullings and receiver K.J. Osborn from the practice squad for Sundays matchup with the Browns. It is the kind of move teams make when the injury report starts to thin out a little too much, and Tennessee could use the reinforcement with the game set for Nissan Stadium and CBS carrying the broadcast.
The timing is notable because several offensive players are listed as questionable, including backup running back Tyjae Spears and wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Elevations like this do not guarantee a major role, but they do suggest Tennessee is preparing for a few different scenarios as it tries to keep the offense functional against Cleveland. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Win Changed Nothing About One Tough Deadline Decision
The Titans finally got a win on the board, but it hardly changed the larger picture in Nashville. At 1-5, Tennessee is still staring at a long road back into the playoff conversation, and the coming weeks are less about chasing a run and more about deciding how aggressively to lean into a rebuild.
With the trade deadline nearing, several recognizable names could draw attention if the Titans decide draft capital matters more than holding the current core together. Jeffery Simmons, Amani Hooker, Tony Pollard and Alonte Taylor all sit in that uneasy space where value, contract status and team direction start to intersect, and for a front office trying to balance the present with the future, those choices can be a lot tougher than the scoreboard suggests. [Read more 🡒]