The Tennessee Titans are down to the final stretch before the 2026 regular season kicks off, and Sunday’s opener against the New York Jets will give Robert Saleh his first chance to set the tone in Nashville.
That’s the easy part. The harder question is what actually counts as a successful first season for Saleh.
A Week 1 win would get the Titans moving in the right direction, but one game won’t define the year. Tennessee has bigger markers to hit, starting with Cam Ward’s development and steadier play from the secondary.
And from the broader view, nobody around this team is going to treat another three-win season like progress, no matter who’s coaching it. As veteran DT Solomon Thomas said just yesterday, Tennessee is trying to win right now.
Before the preseason, the expectation was a 6-11 finish for Saleh’s first year, and that still looks like a reasonable target. If anything, it might even be a touch optimistic, but it also works as a clear baseline for where this team should land.
Getting to six wins would double the total from both Brian Callahan seasons, and it would also give Saleh something real to build on. That kind of jump would suggest a few important things went the Titans’ way, especially with Ward continuing to take steps forward.
The offense will have to do more than just tread water, too. Tennessee has to keep pace in the AFC South, and that means matching up with C.J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence twice a year without getting left behind.
Six wins would not solve everything, but it would send a strong message that the Titans are finally climbing instead of spinning in place. The bigger aim is still the same: get back to the playoffs, and eventually the Super Bowl.
Maybe that sounds ambitious to some people. But that’s the point.
After the kind of rebuild Tennessee has been through, the bar has to be more than survival. A 6-11 season would keep the climb slow and steady, but it would also lift the Titans off the bottom rung and give Saleh a real foothold for what comes next.
In Other News...
Titans Secondary Just Got A Late Addition Worth Watching Closely
The Titans added a familiar face to their secondary just before the season opener, signing cornerback Jaylon Jones as they continue fine-tuning the roster ahead of a visit from the New York Jets. Jones arrives with real AFC South experience after spending two years as a starter with the Indianapolis Colts, and his path back to Tennessee includes a reunion with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, under whom he had his best NFL season.
Jones takes the spot of Melvin Smith Jr., who was released, and the move gives Tennessee another veteran option at corner as the opener approaches. For now, the expectation is straightforward: help with depth, contribute on special teams, and give Bradley another piece he knows well in a secondary that still looks to be taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Face An Early Week 1 Linebacker Test Nobody Wanted
Cedric Grays status has quickly become one of the more uncomfortable early-week storylines for the Titans, with the linebacker in concussion protocol after a UTV accident and listed as questionable for the upcoming game. For a defense trying to settle in around a new coaching staff, losing a player viewed as one of its leading linebackers would be a reminder that Week 1 can turn on depth just as much as it does on game plans.
Robert Saleh and the Titans may have to lean on James Williams and Anthony Hill if Gray cannot go, and both young linebackers would be stepping into a meaningful early opportunity. How Tennessee handles that spot will say plenty about where the defense stands right now, because the answer is not just about replacing one player but about how quickly the next man up can absorb the job without losing the middle of the field. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Ward Faces The First Real Test Of The Titans Rebuild
Cam Ward enters his second season with the kind of attention that comes with being the face of a rebuild, and the Titans are asking for more than flashes. After a rookie year that gave Tennessee a baseline to measure from, the next step is about consistency, command and whether the offense can start looking like something more stable under Robert Salehs watch. The preseason only sharpened the curiosity around Ward, because now the real games begin and the expectations rise with them.
Sundays home opener against the Jets should tell Tennessee a lot about where Ward is in that process. It is one thing to show growth in camp and preseason settings, but a regular-season test at home will reveal how he handles pressure, how far the supporting cast has come and whether the Titans offense is ready to give the rebuild some traction. For a team trying to find its footing, the early returns on Ward could shape the whole conversation. [Read more 🡒]