The Tennessee Titans have spent the last four seasons stuck in the middle of nowhere, nowhere close to the league’s basement but nowhere near the playoff picture either. That kind of drift wears on a fan base. It also makes any real sign of progress feel overdue.
Now, though, there’s at least a case to be made that the turnaround could come fast.
Tennessee enters the season with a new coaching staff, a quarterback the franchise believes is on the rise, and a roster that looks a lot different than it did a year ago. The results have been ugly lately - a combined 6-28 over the last two seasons and last place in the division in each of the past three years - but the Titans are no longer being treated like a team stuck in permanent limbo.
The AFC South is widely seen as a two-team fight between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans. That makes sense. But it also leaves room for a team like Tennessee to surprise people if the upgrades actually stick.
That’s the idea behind one bold prediction from Jarrett Bailey of SBNation, who included the Titans in his list of 61 bold predictions for the 2026 season. Bailey has Tennessee grabbing the final playoff spot in the AFC and returning to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
“ Every year, there is at least one team that makes the postseason that no one sees coming - I’ll say this year’s team will be the Tennessee Titans. I love the offseason they’ve had.
New head coach Robert Saleh will turn that defense around, and Brian Daboll has a proven track record of elevating quarterbacks. With additions like Carnell Tate, Wan’Dale Robinson, John Franklin Myers, Alontae Taylor, and Cor’Dale Flott, Tennessee’s roster is much better than what it was at this time last season.
Cam Ward takes a big leap forward and leads the Titans to their first playoff appearance since 2021." said Bailey.
Saleh taking over should give Tennessee’s defense a different edge, while Daboll’s arrival as offensive coordinator is the kind of move that can change the direction of a young quarterback. Cam Ward also has more help around him now, with the Titans adding Carnell Tate, Wan’Dale Robinson, John Franklin Myers, Alontae Taylor, and Cor’Dale Flott.
There will still be bumps along the way. That part is unavoidable.
But if Tennessee catches fire at the right time, this is the kind of roster that could sneak into the postseason conversation. After four years away, the Titans finally have a path back.
In Other News...
Titans Make Early Tackle Move As Familiar Camp Concern Grows
Training camp opened this week with veterans reporting Tuesday and the first practice set for Wednesday, and the Titans wasted little time making a depth move up front. Tennessee placed offensive tackle JC Latham and safety Amani Hooker on the Physically Unable to Perform list, then added tackle Zachary Thomas while waiving Ryan Hayes, a sign the early days of camp are already being shaped by availability along the offensive line.
Thomas arrives with some NFL mileage as a 2022 sixth-round pick who has bounced around multiple teams and appeared in 17 career games, giving Tennessee another body to sort through while the tackle picture settles. Even so, the move only underscores how much work remains at the position, especially with Latham sidelined and the club still trying to find the right mix behind him before the real camp battles begin. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Draft Class Already Facing A Defining Camp Reckoning
The Titans are heading into the second year of their rebuild with the 2025 draft class moving from promise to proof under the Mike Borgonzi era. After a rookie season that offered a little bit of everything, the group now has to show it can handle real roles, not just developmental reps, with Cam Ward, Femi Oladejo, Kevin Winston and the rest all being sorted into very different lanes as camp approaches.
Wards late-season surge gave Tennessee a real reason to believe the quarterback position is stabilizing, while Winston looks like he could settle into a starting safety job if he stays healthy. Elsewhere, the picture is less settled, with players such as Oladejo, Elic Ayomanor, Gunnar Helm, Chimere Dike and Marcus Harris all facing their own versions of camp pressure, whether that means winning a starting job, carving out a bigger offensive role or simply holding off the pack long enough to make the roster feel a little more secure. [Read more 🡒]