The Tennessee Titans spent the offseason trying to change the feel of the whole operation, and the move that set the tone was bringing in Robert Saleh. Mike Borgonzi hired him to inject the kind of energy the franchise had been missing since the Mike Vrabel days, and that was only part of the plan.
Saleh’s arrival made sense on its own, but the Titans also needed the right offensive voice to help Cam Ward grow. They got that in Brian Daboll, who landed in Tennessee after being passed over for the Buffalo Bills’ head coaching job. With the coaching staff in place, Borgonzi still had to reshape a roster that lacked talent across the board.
A lot of the heavy lifting came on defense, where the Titans added familiar names to fit Saleh’s style. John Franklin-Myers stands out as the biggest addition, especially with Jeffery Simmons already in the mix. Tennessee also traded for Jermaine Johnson II and Solomon Thomas to reinforce the trenches.
The offense got its own boost, too. The Titans added Carnell Tate through the draft and signed Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency, giving Daboll another player he knows well from their time together with the Giants. Tony Pollard is expected to lead the backfield, but rookie Nicholas Singleton could carve out moments this season as well.
That’s the part of this story that matters most: Tennessee doesn’t look like the same stripped-down rebuilding team it was a year ago. The roster feels fuller now.
More complete. Better built to compete.
Still, not everyone is buying into the hype.
Sayre Bedinger of NFL Spin Zone included the Titans on a list with the Chiefs, Ravens, and Bengals of teams whose “win projections that are way too high for the 2026 NFL season”. In his view, Tennessee being projected for seven wins “is a bit much right now.”
" Some have them set at an over/under of 4.5 wins, and some have them set at 6.5 wins. I've been singing the Titans' praises most of the offseason, and part of me wants to stick with my gut, but another part of me can't ignore what we saw from Cam Ward in the preseason." said Bedinger.
" We'll see what Ward and Brian Daboll have cooking for the regular season, but for right now, I'm confident in saying that predicting the Titans to win 7 games this season (taking the over) is a bit much right now. That would mean more than doubling last season's win total, and that's going to be tough if Ward is any version of erratic this season." Bedinger added.
There’s a real case for caution. Tennessee has a lot of new faces, and that kind of turnover usually comes with some uncertainty. But Saleh’s defenses have a habit of showing up, personnel or no personnel, and Daboll brings the kind of play-calling track record that helped turn Josh Allen into an MVP candidate.
Ward is only entering his second season, and this gives him a clean reset with a coordinator who has already shown he can elevate a quarterback. Saleh, meanwhile, has already shown he can squeeze back-to-back 7-10 seasons out of the Jets from 2022-2023 with less offensive talent than he has now in Tennessee.
That’s why the Titans’ offseason gamble feels so bold. If the new pieces click, this could be a team that pushes for the postseason sooner than people expect.
In Other News...
Titans Roster Cuts Left One Big Mike Borgonzi Win Behind
The Titans spent the cutdown deadline churning through the back end of the roster, trimming to 53 and then immediately reshaping the group with three waiver claims and two veteran additions. To make the math work, Tennessee moved on from five players, but four of them circled right back to the practice squad, keeping some continuity in place while the front office kept taking swings to improve depth.
In the end, only one piece from that last round of roster juggling did not find a landing spot with the team. Austin Deculus was the lone player who did not return on the practice squad, leaving the Titans with one notable departure even as the rest of the maneuvering largely preserved the depth they wanted to keep around. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Fans Wont Love How This L'Jarius Sneed Story Is Trending
L'Jarius Sneed's brief run in Tennessee ended with the Titans moving on after a two-year stint that never really took off because of injuries and limited production. The decision cleared cap space for the team, which then turned to new cornerbacks to help fill the vacancy and reset the position group.
Now Sneed is back with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the early signs there are the kind Titans fans probably do not love seeing. Andy Reid said Sneed is playing well and looks like he is getting back to his previous form, a reminder of the level Tennessee hoped to get when it brought him in. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Get Hit With A Label Fans Will Want To Fight Back On
A recent Yahoo Sports ranking put the Titans in a bucket no fan base likes to see, labeling them among the NFLs tankers because of the uncertainty at quarterback. The classification is jarring enough on its own, especially after rookie Cam Ward showed promise while working through a difficult season and the roster around him began to take shape in a more encouraging way.
Robert Salehs new coaching staff, along with upgrades on the offensive line and additions at receiver, give Tennessee a much different look than a true tear-down team. Even if the quarterback question remains the biggest factor in how far this group can go, the setup is at least pointing toward progress, which is why this kind of label is one the Titans have every reason to push back on. [Read more 🡒]