Brian Daboll may have already tipped his hand in Tennessee, and the clue is sitting in the Titans’ camp reception totals.
Through training camp, 43.5 percent of the team’s listed receptions went to running backs and tight ends, a strong hint that sophomore quarterback Cam Ward could be leaning on easier throws underneath as the offense takes shape. That number wasn’t just a spreadsheet quirk, either. It showed up on the field in Tennessee’s final joint practice against the Chicago Bears.
Tony Pollard turned in one of the best catches of camp, Tyjae Spears finished second on the entire team with 40 receptions, and both backs looked poised to matter in the passing game. Gunnar Helm added a one-handed grab against the Bears, another sign that the tight end group could have real weight in Daboll’s system.
The Titans’ camp usage lines up neatly with what Daboll has done before. In 2022 with the New York Giants, running backs and tight ends combined for 42.3 percent of the team’s receptions, according to PFF’s receiving data. That’s only 1.2 percentage points off Tennessee’s camp number.
The preseason version of that Giants offense looked similar, too. PFF had running backs and tight ends at 45.9 percent of the Giants’ preseason receptions, then 42.3 percent once the regular season began. Daboll carried that structure into the year.
But his offense is not frozen in place. In 2024, with Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson driving the passing game, the running back and tight end share dropped all the way to 32.3 percent. That’s the clearest sign yet that Daboll adjusts to the personnel he has.
There’s also a familiar thread with Robinson. He finished sixth on the 2022 Giants with 30 targets, and he is third on the Titans this preseason with six targets.
That doesn’t mean Tennessee will abandon its receivers. The Titans can still work outside while giving Ward dependable answers underneath, especially with only five receivers currently on the active 53-man roster after waiving Xavier Restrepo.
That kind of balance matters when a play starts to break down. Ward won’t have to force the ball outside every snap if a back or tight end is open underneath.
The larger takeaway is simple: Daboll has a track record of building the passing game around the highest-percentage throw available. Training camp is not a promise, and the numbers will shift once the regular season starts and opponents change. But the Titans’ 43.5 percent share feels like a real early marker of how this offense may be built.
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