The Tennessee Titans spent the offseason tearing things down and building them back up, and the most interesting piece of that overhaul might not be a player at all. It’s Brian Daboll.
Tennessee’s coaching staff has been reshaped around head coach Robert Saleh, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Jim Fassel was the only coordinator kept on from 2025. On the roster side, the Titans also added names like Wan'Dale Robinson, Daniel Bellinger, Cor'Dale Flott, John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, and others.
But when The Athletic went looking for each team’s most intriguing offseason move, it landed on Daboll for Tennessee.
That makes sense. Daboll has the kind of résumé that makes people pay attention: he helped develop Josh Allen in Buffalo, then moved on to become head coach of the New York Giants, where he won Coach of the Year in 2022.
The problem was what came after. The Giants never built on that season and slid back toward the bottom of the NFC East.
Now he gets another swing, and the fit is obvious. The Titans are hoping he can do for Cam Ward what he once did for Allen.
Ward was the No. 1 pick in 2025, but his rookie season was rough, even if the conditions around him weren’t exactly ideal. If Daboll can get Ward moving in the right direction, that would be a major win for Tennessee.
It won’t be simple. The offensive line could be shaky on the interior, and the pass-catching group comes with questions too.
Wan’Dale Robinson is a familiar face who should help, but there’s still uncertainty about whether Carnell Tate is ready to handle a primary role as a rookie. Tony Pollard is also part of the equation, but the question remains whether he’s still an effective 1A.
Still, the upside is clear. Daboll looks and sounds like a head coach, and if this stop in Nashville boosts his reputation as a quarterback developer, it may not last long before he’s back running his own team.
The Titans would gladly take that outcome if it means Ward is on the path to living up to the No. 1 pick. If Daboll and Ward click, Tennessee’s offense could finally become watchable for the first time in years.
And if that happens, Daboll could put himself right back into the conversation for future head coaching jobs. Ward has the talent to become an elite quarterback in this league. The Titans are betting Daboll is the coach who can get him there.
In Other News...
Titans Camp Battle Could Quietly Decide Robert Salehs Defense
Training camp is about to sort out more than just the Titans depth chart. Under Robert Saleh, the competition at right guard has become one of the quieter but more consequential battles on the roster, with Jackson Slater and Cordell Volson both in the mix as the team tries to stabilize the interior and keep the offense on schedule. It is the kind of job fight that can shape how a line functions long before the regular season starts.
The same is true on the edge, where the spot opposite Jermaine Johnson II is expected to draw real attention once camp gets rolling. Femi Oladejo and Jacob Martin headline that group, with rookie Keldric Faulk also expected to factor in, and the way Saleh parcels out those snaps should tell a lot about how he sees the front seven taking shape. For a defense built on pressure and rotation, those decisions may end up carrying more weight than they first appear. [Read more 🡒]
Former Titans Star Left Stunned By Travis Kelce Friendship Snub
The celebrity-heavy wedding scene around Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift had plenty of NFL representation, with names like George Kittle and Matthew Stafford showing up with family in tow. For former Titans lineman Taylor Lewan and ex-Titans linebacker Will Compton, though, the guest list brought a different kind of attention, since both had long considered themselves part of Kelces circle and expected to be in the mix for a day that blended football fame with pop-star spectacle.
Lewan sounded genuinely taken aback when the invitations didnt come his way, openly questioning what he might be doing wrong after seeing who was there. Compton had a similar reaction, saying he was flabbergasted while reacting to the photos and even noting Dean Blandinos presence, a reminder that the guest list was full of surprises even before the Titans duo realized they were on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]
Titans May Finally Have The Camp Battle Their Secondary Needed
The Titans added another piece to their secondary on March 12, signing Joshua Williams to a two-year contract after four seasons with the Chiefs. For a cornerback room that has spent too much time shuffling bodies because of injuries, Williams arrives as the kind of steady, experienced depth every defense wants but not every defense can find.
What makes him especially relevant in Tennessee is the role he can fill behind Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott at boundary corner. Williams brings size, special teams value and the sort of flexibility that can help a coaching staff keep its options open if the camp competition gets tight, and the Titans will be watching closely to see whether he can turn that backup job into something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]