The Titans may be winless through two weeks, but the bigger storyline in Tennessee is how the rookie class is holding up under real NFL snaps. That group has already produced a wide range of early returns, from one first-rounder still searching for his footing to another rookie who has stepped in and looked ready right away.
Anthony Hill Jr. has been the standout so far. The Titans’ third selection in the 2026 NFL Draft has backed up a strong preseason with a solid opening two games, piling up 26 total tackles and adding a pair of pass deflections. Rookie off-ball linebackers usually need time to settle in, but Hill Jr. has looked like a starter from the jump.
Fernando Carmona has also given Tennessee something to feel good about. He won the starting right guard job in the preseason and hasn’t done anything to lose it.
PFF credits him with allowing just four pressures in 65 pass-blocking snaps. He may not be driving defenders off the ball in the run game, but he’s been steady enough everywhere else.
For a fifth-round rookie, that’s a strong return.
Nicholas Singleton made his first appearance in Week 2 and offered a small glimpse of what he can bring. His four carries produced just ten yards, but he did what was there to be done and made the most of the blocking in front of him. The Titans are expected to give him more work as the season goes on.
The early story hasn’t been nearly as encouraging for Carnell Tate. After a quiet debut against the Jets, the top-five pick had a mixed showing against the Eagles, finishing with three contested catches for 27 yards.
The drop on third down early in the game stood out, and that kind of inconsistency is hard to ignore for a player taken that high. He’s been fine through two weeks, but he hasn’t come close to justifying the draft capital Tennessee spent on him.
Keldric Faulk, Tennessee’s other first-round pick, has also had a slow start. He has played only 39 snaps on defense and still doesn’t have a solo tackle.
His versatility hasn’t shown up yet either, with just two of his snaps coming from inside the tackles. Faulk entered the league as a raw prospect, so the adjustment was always going to take some time, but right now it looks like a long road before he becomes a real factor in Robert Saleh’s defense.
In Other News...
Marcus Mariota Is Suddenly Back In A Spot Titans Fans Know Well
Week 2 brought a familiar kind of quarterback subplot for former Titans fans to track, and Marcus Mariota was right in the middle of it. With Washingtons starter sidelined by injury, Mariota stepped in for the Commanders and found himself back in the role Tennessee supporters know so well, a veteran backup suddenly asked to steady an offense on short notice.
Around him, a few other former Titans also surfaced in different spots across the league, from TVondre Sweat making defensive contributions for the Jets to Kristian Fulton grabbing an interception for the Chiefs despite the penalty issues that followed. But Mariotas situation carried the most immediate intrigue for anyone who remembers his Tennessee days, because it put him back under center in the same kind of unexpected moment that has defined so much of his career. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Fans Facing An Uncomfortable Nissan Stadium Reality Again
The Titans are still dealing with a familiar Nissan Stadium problem: too many empty seats and too many visiting fans. In the recent game against the Philadelphia Eagles, plenty of Tennessee supporters noticed how visible the road crowd was, a reminder that even with a new coaching staff and some on-field progress, the home-field edge has not really returned.
Pricing trends are only adding to the uneasy atmosphere, with ticket costs expected to slide further as interest lags. Lifelong fans are hoping that changes on the field eventually show up in the stands too, with the upcoming meeting against the Houston Texans carrying a little extra weight as another chance for Nissan Stadium to feel more like home. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Add Another Boom Or Bust Twist To Their QB Plan
The Jets have taken another flier at quarterback, this time adding former Titans starter Will Levis to the practice squad after moving on from Bailey Zappe. Levis lands in New York with a familiar label attached to him as a high-variance arm, and he brings the kind of experience that can be useful even in a deep reserve role.
Levis missed the entire 2025 season because of a shoulder injury, but he still has 21 NFL starts on his rsum and now slots in as the Jets third-string quarterback behind Geno Smith and rookie Cade Klubnik. For Tennessee fans, it is another reminder of how quickly the league moves on from a young passer, and for the Jets it is one more layer of insurance in a quarterback room that already has a clear starter and a developmental understudy. [Read more 🡒]