Titans football is back tonight, and the preseason opener comes with a little extra edge.
Tennessee opens against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, Aug. 13, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. CT in California. The game will air on WKRN Channel 2 in Nashville from the start, and NFL Network will pick it up in progress at 9 p.m.
That timing may not be kind to anyone trying to protect their sleep schedule, but it does give Titans fans their first live look at an entirely rebuilt team in a brand-new setting. The matchup also arrives after a chippy joint practice between the two clubs, one that featured thrown punches and plenty of back-and-forth. So yes, the temperature is already up before the first snap.
Robert Saleh’s coaching debut with the baby blue and white will come in his former home out west, and he said the Titans starters will play more than a series against the 49ers. That means this won’t just be a quick cameo for Tennessee’s top group. Fans should get a real look at the primary unit on both sides of the ball.
That makes this more than just a preseason tune-up. It’s a first measuring stick for where Tennessee stands right now, even if plenty can change as the season unfolds. A longer run in a game like this can still tell you a lot about a team’s current shape and ceiling.
The most watched connection will be Cam Ward and Carnell Tate. The two are being treated as the future of Titans football, and the flashes they showed in Tennessee’s blue and white scrimmage were enough to send fans buzzing online. Tonight is their first chance to try it against another team in live action, and that’s a different kind of test.
Once the starters step aside, the spotlight shifts to the receivers fighting for bigger roles or even a roster spot. Xavier Restrepo is the obvious name to watch, but KJ Osborn and Bryce Oliver should also get their chances to make a case for themselves.
Behind Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, there’s room for somebody to separate. Maybe that answer starts to come into focus tonight.
In Other News...
Titans Suddenly Have A Cam Ward Problem They Can't Ignore
Training camp has already exposed a spot the Titans cannot afford to treat lightly, and it comes on the offensive line behind their starting tackles. With the preseason game against the 49ers looming, Tennessee is still sorting through backup tackle depth after the position got thin in a hurry during joint practices, leaving the staff with an uncomfortable reminder of how quickly a camp concern can turn into a roster issue.
The biggest question now is whether the Titans decide they need outside help before the next game arrives. Their current tackle situation is still tied to the health of the starters, and the front office may have to weigh a move if it wants to give Cam Ward a cleaner, more reliable pocket to work with. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Preseason Opener Puts Several Jobs On The Line Fast
The Titans preseason opener against the 49ers arrives with more than just a tune-up feel, because training camp has already turned plenty of roster spots into auditions. The first game gives the coaching staff its earliest live look at players trying to squeeze onto the final 53-man roster, and several of those decisions are already taking shape in practice.
Among the names under the brightest spotlight are Will Levis and a pair of receivers trying to separate themselves in a crowded room. Levis needs a strong showing to help his standing in the quarterback mix, while Xavier Restrepo and K.J. Osborn are among the wideouts battling for one of the last places on the roster, making every snap in the opener feel a little more consequential than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Singleton Has A Real Chance To Force His Way Into Titans Plans
Nick Singleton has spent the early part of camp doing what a rookie in a crowded backfield has to do: make it harder for the Titans to ignore him. The fifth-round pick has drawn notice in joint practices and preseason work, and with Tony Pollard locked in as the lead option, every meaningful snap behind him matters. Tennessee did not draft Singleton expecting an instant centerpiece, but his blend of encouraging camp work and his college rsum has given him a real opening to carve out a role.
The competition is what makes the next stretch interesting. The Titans have other backs in the mix, and the staff still has to sort out how the rotation behind Pollard will look once the games start to count. Singleton has already shown enough to stay in that conversation, and if he keeps stacking the kind of reps he has early, he could push his way from intriguing rookie to actual part of the plan. [Read more 🡒]