The Tennessee Titans got their first win of 2026 in Week 6, knocking off the Indianapolis Colts 26-20. Elsewhere, a few former Titans were busy making headlines of their own - some for the right reasons, some for the same old problems.
One of the clearest bright spots came from Washington, where Chig Okonkwo finally put together the kind of outing the Commanders were hoping for when they gave him a three-year, $27 million deal in free agency. The former Titans tight end had been off to a rough start, but against the San Francisco 49ers in primetime, he delivered. With WR Terry McLaurin suffering a serious injury, Okonkwo caught all seven of his targets for 69 yards.
Treylon Burks also took advantage of that McLaurin injury, at least for a stretch. The former Titans first-round pick posted a season-high four catches for 66 yards before injury again interrupted his night. The Commanders do have a Week 7 bye, so he’ll have time to rest up.
Mike Vrabel’s New England Patriots keep rolling, too. They picked up their third straight win in Week 6 and moved to 4-2 after opening the season 1-2. Vrabel, who advanced to the Super Bowl last season, has his team heading the right way while Tennessee continues to search.
On the other end of the spectrum, some familiar ex-Titans are still looking for more. T’Vondre Sweat, traded to the New York Jets, has yet to make much of an impact.
He remains more of a run-focused presence than a disruptive pass rusher, and he currently ranks 63rd among 81 qualifying defensive tackles in pressure percentage, according to Next Gen Stats. His current PFF grade, 70.9, is the lowest of his career.
Jarvis Brownlee’s season with the Jets has been similarly ordinary. The cornerback has been a replacement-level player so far, and PFF says he has allowed 18 catches and two touchdowns in coverage.
He still hasn’t recorded an interception or pass breakup, and he’s been flagged once. In Week 6, he was even briefly benched for D’Angelo Ponds.
Then there’s A.J. Brown, who returned to the Patriots lineup in Week 6 after missing Weeks 2-5 on IR.
His reunion with Vrabel hasn’t clicked yet. Against the Jets, Brown caught just three of his 10 targets for 27 yards as New England kept trying to get him involved without much success.
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 🡒]