A playoff forecast that would have sounded outrageous not long ago is now getting some national airtime, and the Tennessee Titans are right in the middle of it.
On Good Morning Football, Kyle Brandt laid out his AFC and NFC playoff picture, and Tennessee ended up in the AFC Wild Card mix with the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots. That Patriots team, of course, reached the Super Bowl last year.
The reveal was made in typical Brandt fashion, big and dramatic, and it puts the Titans in a very different kind of conversation. In this version of the league, Tennessee would be “back” faster than most people expected, with the rebuild moving from somewhere around the middle to well beyond the finish line.
That does not mean a Wild Card spot is the end point for this team under Saleh. When he was hired, the head coach said the words “Super Bowl,” and that remains the target.
Still, Brandt’s pick says something about how the Titans are being viewed outside Nashville. Plenty of people are still waiting to see what Cam Ward becomes before making any firm judgments.
If Ward makes the leap, though, Saleh and his staff have assembled a roster that could make noise right away. A playoff berth in Year 1 would bring the bigger expectations forward much sooner.
There are still obvious holes to address, and some expiring contracts will create fresh questions before long. Depth in the secondary and Tony Pollard stand out as the main examples.
Even so, the pieces around Ward are starting to look real. Wan’Dale Robinson gives him a 1,000-yard receiver who is just entering his prime, while Carnell Tate comes in as a fourth round pick who can grow alongside the quarterback for years.
The defense has been built with a clear edge in mind. Tennessee traded for EDGE Jermaine Johnson and DT Solomon Thomas, then added veteran disruptor John Franklin-Myers and drafted EDGE Keldric Faulk and LB Anthony Hill Jr.
That is not just a list of names. Those players matter to whether this thing works now, not later. The rookies are stepping into situations where they can develop behind players who already know how to handle their jobs, and if Saleh gets comfortable with the defensive play-calling while Brian Daboll continues in his offensive role, the sideline could help push this roster further than expected.
Week 1 against the New York Jets should tell a lot about where the Titans really stand. For the moment, though, a Wild Card prediction is enough to make people take notice.
In Other News...
Titans Defense Suddenly Has A Week 1 Problem Against The Jets
The Titans got an unwelcome late-summer jolt when linebacker Cedric Gray entered the NFLs concussion protocol after a UTV accident in Tennessee. The team said Gray suffered a concussion and minor injuries, and also noted there was no alcohol or reckless driving involved, but the timing alone creates a problem for a defense trying to get through the final stretch of preparation for Week 1.
Grays status for the opener against the Jets is now up in the air, and he will need to clear the leagues concussion process before he can be considered available. For a Tennessee defense already focused on getting its group settled, losing a linebackers practice time this close to the start of the season is the kind of issue that can quickly ripple through the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Suddenly Face A Cedric Gray Question Right Before Week 1
The Titans got a preseason reminder of how quickly the margin for error can shrink when linebacker Cedric Gray was involved in an off-road utility vehicle accident over the holiday weekend. Gray sustained a concussion and minor injuries, and the team now has him in the NFLs concussion protocol with his status for the season opener hanging on medical clearance.
For Tennessee, the timing is the real concern. Grays availability is suddenly an open question just before Week 1, and while a source familiar with the crash said the incident did not involve reckless driving or alcohol, the Titans are left waiting on the one update that matters most: when hell be cleared to return. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Longshot Label Puts New Regime Under Immediate Pressure
The Titans enter the season with the kind of long Super Bowl odds that make every move from the new regime feel like a referendum. With a new coach and quarterback pairing in place, Tennessee is trying to establish some early momentum while showing there is a real plan behind the overhaul, not just a reset for the sake of one. The broader picture around the league only sharpens the scrutiny, because teams in this tier are usually judged less by immediate results than by whether their offseason choices look smarter a year from now.
For Tennessee, the point is not simply to scrape together a few wins and call it progress. The more meaningful test is whether the pieces the front office and coaching staff brought in start to look connected, especially on defense, where so much of the investment has been made. If the Titans are going to climb out of the longshot category, they need the new partnership at the top to feel stable, and they need enough evidence by then to suggest this is heading somewhere better than a one-year flash of hope. [Read more 🡒]