The Tennessee Titans are down to the final stretch of training camp, with Robert Saleh’s team beginning its last week on Tuesday before a joint practice and preseason game against the Chicago Bears. Final roster cuts come on Aug. 30, and with that deadline looming, there’s a growing sense that 2026 could look a lot different for a franchise that has struggled badly over the last two seasons.
Tennessee spent the offseason aggressively reshaping the roster, and that overhaul is part of why there’s real optimism around what comes next. With the season getting closer, here are the Titans’ projected stat leaders for 2026.
At quarterback, the job belongs to Ward. As long as he stays healthy, he should start all 17 games and finish as the team leader in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.
His preseason work has been uneven so far, but the 2025 No. 1 overall pick still carries plenty of upside, and the Titans are clearly counting on that talent finally showing up in full. Last season came with the usual rookie mistakes, but those growing pains can’t follow him into 2026.
In the backfield, Pollard looks like the safest bet to lead the way again. Tyjae Spears and rookie Nicholas Singleton may bring more juice, but Pollard remains Tennessee’s top running back and should hold that spot for at least another year.
Since joining the Titans in 2024, he has been steady and productive, putting together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons while averaging more than four yards per carry behind an offensive line that has constantly changed around him. Durability has been part of the story too: Pollard has missed only one game over the past three seasons and just five total since entering the league in 2019.
At receiver, Carnell Tate is drawing plenty of attention after going No. 4 overall in April and projecting as the Titans’ long-term No. 1 target. Even so, Robinson looks like the player most likely to lead the group in 2026.
He has topped 90 catches in each of the last two seasons and reached 1,000 receiving yards in 2025. The 25-year-old has a knack for uncovering space in the short and intermediate game, and Ward should lean on him as a reliable outlet, especially with Robinson already knowing offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s system.
That setup points to what could be a career season for the former Giant.
Up front, Simmons is still the centerpiece. He was the best defensive tackle in football last season, and there’s no reason to expect a drop-off.
After two straight years with fewer than six sacks, he broke out with 11 last season and added 17 tackles for loss. Another double-digit sack year and a second straight All-Pro nod are both very much in play as he continues to strengthen his Hall of Fame case.
Gray is another defender who looks ready to take another step. He finished fourth in the NFL with 164 tackles last season and has become a clear building block for Tennessee’s defense.
Now working under Saleh, a linebacker-minded coach, Gray has kept ascending since arriving in Nashville in 2024 as a fourth-round pick. A Pro Bowl season would not be out of the question.
For interceptions, Hill is the pick, even if he isn’t a starter yet. The rookie linebacker from Texas has already made noise in camp with multiple picks and added another interception in the Titans’ preseason win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, when he intercepted Jalen Milroe in the third quarter. He still has to climb the depth chart and pass Cody Barton to get a full-time role next to Gray, but if his playmaking carries into the regular season, Tennessee may have found the coverage linebacker it has been looking for.
In Other News...
Titans Roster Projection Hints At A Familiar QB Shift After Seahawks Game
With the August 30 roster cut deadline closing in, the Titans are reaching the point where training camp and preseason snaps start to carry real weight for Robert Salehs first full roster in Nashville. The latest projection leans on what has happened in camp and during exhibition play, sorting through the quarterback room along with the running backs, receivers, tight ends, offensive line and defensive line, while making clear that a few spots are still very much up for grabs.
The most interesting part of the exercise is how much it suggests the depth chart could still be in motion after the Seahawks game, especially in a quarterback picture that already feels familiar to anyone tracking the competition closely. There are established names and some obvious roster locks, but the final few decisions could leave the Titans with a reshaped look by the time the deadline passes, and the next round of preseason evaluation may be just as important as the last. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Quarterback Battle Just Got More Concerning Against The Bears
The Titans got back on the field after their preseason win and, at least from the quarterback room, the early returns were hard to ignore. Cam Ward, Mitch Trubisky and Will Levis combined for a busy day in practice, with most of the damage coming in red zone work, where the group piled up touchdowns but also handed out interceptions. Ward had the roughest time with accuracy, while Trubisky and Levis looked steadier even as both still put the ball in harms way.
For a team still sorting out its regular-season readiness, that kind of mixed session only adds to the pressure around the depth chart. The Titans need more than flashes from the position, especially with roster decisions looming and every rep carrying extra weight in a battle that has already felt unsettled. What happened in that first practice after the preseason win did not settle much, and it may have left the competition looking more concerning than before. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Passing Problems Go Well Beyond Cam Ward
The Titans passing game has been a work in progress, and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll made it clear the issues are not being pinned on Cam Ward alone. Daboll pointed to a mix of problems, from receiver route execution to protection, while Ward himself acknowledged the offense has left opportunities on the field as he continues learning the new system.
Robert Saleh offered a similar read on the situation, saying Ward has generally made good decisions with the ball. Even so, the message around the building is the same: the quarterbacks development matters, but Tennessee needs cleaner play across the board before the passing attack can settle in. [Read more 🡒]