Another week in the NFL has come and gone, and Week 7 already has that midseason feel in 2026. The schedule is packed with inter-conference showdowns, undefeated records on the line, and teams fighting to keep themselves in the playoff mix. With the trade deadline approaching, every game feels a little heavier now.
In the AFC, the bottom of the board is where the most frustration is showing up right now.
- Los Angeles Chargers
No AFC team is carrying more disappointment than the Chargers right now. Even with Miami sitting at 0-6, Los Angeles has become the league’s most exasperating story because this was supposed to be a tough, well-coached group.
Injuries have had an impact, and the people around Justin Herbert have not held up their end. Still, this roster was supposed to have a different standard. Instead, the questions are getting louder, including where the influence of Mike McDaniel as the offensive coordinator shows up.
At this stage, the future of the team cannot be ruled out from any angle.
- Miami Dolphins
Miami did not play in Week 6, and the Dolphins now turn their attention to a road game against the New York Jets in Week 7.
So far in 2026, the Dolphins have mostly looked like what they are: a team that can compete, but one that keeps running into a talent gap from week to week.
The roster is not ready to contend consistently yet, but there is something being built here. Jeff Hafley’s team will get a chance to show more of that after the bye against an opponent it can realistically handle.
- Tennessee Titans
Tennessee finally picked up its first win of the season in Week 6, rallying past the Indianapolis Colts in a game that led to the Colts parting ways with GM Chris Ballard.
Even with that breakthrough, the Titans still haven’t looked like the breakout AFC team some wondered about during the offseason. The defense helped get them across the finish line, but Cam Ward’s play has raised concerns.
The Titans are going to give him the full year, but it would not be a surprise if they are back in the quarterback market after the 2026 season.
In Other News...
Titans Suddenly Face A Real Question About Alontae Taylor
A quiet but notable subplot emerged before Tennessees game against Indianapolis when Robert Saleh made the call to bench starting cornerback Alontae Taylor as part of a reset. Saleh framed the move as a way to help Taylor adjust to life as an outside corner in the teams defensive system, and Taylor took the news in stride, acknowledging the decision while stressing his motivation to adapt and improve.
For the Titans, the situation raises a real roster and development question at a position that has been under the microscope all season. It also landed on a day when there was some good news elsewhere, with Julius Chestnut earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his punt block, while the team continued sorting through injury updates and practice participation ahead of the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Fans Noticed A Familiar Voice Suddenly Missing In Nashville
For more than a decade, Blaine Bishop has been one of the more familiar football voices around Nashville, mixing his former Titans perspective with weekday radio on 104.5 The Zone. The ex-safety had been with the station since January 2010 and had co-hosted the Cover Two show with Zach Lyons, giving listeners a steady, recognizable presence well after his playing days ended.
Bishop is no longer part of that lineup. His last appearance on Cover Two came on Oct. 15, and producer Ross Johnston has been filling in since then, leaving a noticeable change for Titans fans who had grown used to hearing Bishop's take alongside Lyons every week. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Could Make A Painful Deadline Choice Fans Knew Was Coming
At 1-5, the Titans are once again staring at the kind of deadline that usually forces a hard reset, and this time the conversation is not about buying help but about deciding which veterans still fit the long view. The reported stance is clear enough: outside of the rookie class, Cam Ward and Jeffery Simmons, just about everyone else can be discussed if the return helps Tennessee build draft capital before the Nov. 10 deadline.
That makes the next two weeks worth watching around players like Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard and Cody Barton, all of whom could draw different levels of interest depending on what a contender needs. Ridley has been linked to the Rams, Pollard has been tied to the Bengals and Barton has been floated to the Bills, but those are only speculative fits for now, the sort of deadline chatter that says as much about where the Titans are headed as it does about where these veterans might land. [Read more 🡒]