One preseason game is enough to send Titans fans down the rabbit hole, and Tennessee’s opener against the 49ers in San Francisco certainly gave them material. After that first look, the early read here is a season that looks improved, but not transformed.
The record prediction lands at 6-11, which would mean the Titans double their win total from the past two seasons combined. In the AFC South, that projects to a 2-4 finish. It’s the kind of step forward that feels like a realistic first-year baseline for Robert Saleh: more wins than before, at least a couple of division victories, and a team that starts to show some stability.
The wins in this forecast are spread around in a way that fits that theme. Tennessee is picked to beat the Jets in Week 1, the Giants in Week 3, and the Colts at home late in December.
There’s also a home win over the Browns on Oct. 25, another at home against the Jaguars on Nov. 15, and a road victory over the Raiders on Dec. 27.
The idea is simple: take care of the games that should be there, grab a few road opportunities, and squeeze out one late division win in Nashville.
That outlook points to some progress from Cam Ward at quarterback, even if he’s still rough around the edges. It also reflects the expected impact of Robert Saleh handling the defense. Both of those threads showed up in the preseason opener, too.
Still, the biggest season-long swing, in this projection, comes from the offense. Wan'Dale Robinson is the pick for Tennessee’s team MVP.
Robinson signed a four-year, $70 million deal this offseason for a reason, and the expectation is that he’ll be Ward’s top target, at least until Carnell Tate fully takes off. He only had two catches for 19 yards against the 49ers, but that still led the Titans in an uneven passing night. The connection is there with Ward, and Brian Daboll, Robinson’s former coach in New York, clearly has trust in him.
There’s also a strong case that Robinson is at the best point of his career so far. He’s coming off his first 1,000-yard season with the Giants, along with four touchdown catches. With a crowded backfield and Tate still getting acclimated in the NFL alongside second-year players Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, Robinson’s role matters even more.
That’s why he looks like the safest MVP choice. The projection here has him topping 1,000 yards again and finishing with seven touchdowns.
For Titans fans, the question is whether that feels like enough. The answer here is yes: it looks like the sort of growth you’d expect if the organization finally found the right person to steer it out of one of the league’s toughest spots.
In Other News...
Will Levis Just Got A Surprise Chance To Change Everything
Will Levis has spent much of his time in Tennessee trying to prove he still belongs in the conversation, and training camp suddenly handed him a fresh opening. The former No. 33 overall pick in the 2023 draft had a rocky 2024 season, throwing for 2,091 yards with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions before major shoulder surgery wiped out his 2025 season.
With more reps now coming his way, Levis gets a chance to show the Titans he can still be part of their long-term picture before roster cuts arrive. The timing matters because camp can turn quickly for a quarterback, and for Levis, every snap now carries a little more weight than it did just a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Preseason QB Rotation Just Put One Roster Spot In Trouble
The Titans preseason opener offered an early look at how the quarterback room is shaking out, and the rotation told a pretty clear story about who is being treated like part of the plan. Cam Ward started, Hendon Hooker finished, and the other reps went largely to Mitchell Trubisky and Will Levis, the three passers who have been handling most of the work in practice and in game action. For a team still sorting out its depth chart, the distribution mattered more than the final score.
Hookers night was the kind that can speak loudly without anyone saying much at all. He remains on the outside of the main competition as Tennessee heads toward its final preseason game against the Chicago Bears on August 29, and the clock is ticking for players trying to force the staff to make a harder decision. The Titans still have one more exhibition to sort through the back end of the roster, but the quarterback group already looks like it has a hierarchy, and Hooker is not near the top of it. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Roster Battle Just Took A Turn After Camp Injuries
The Titans closed the preseason with a 19-13 win over the 49ers, and the game offered one more look at how the roster picture is taking shape after a summer of camp competition and injuries. Veteran holdovers and younger players alike kept battling for spots, and the final tuning of the 53-man roster by position now feels like one of the most important follow-ups to what was shown on the field.
Wide receiver remains one of the more interesting parts of that projection, with a new name now working into the mix as Tennessee sorts through the depth behind its established options. Elsewhere, the injury fallout from camp has already altered the conversation for a rookie defender, leaving the Titans to balance immediate roster needs with how much they can stash and develop as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]