By MIKE ROBERTS
It has been a miserable past few years for the Tennessee Titans.
They are coming off back-to-back three-win seasons.
They have won 12 games combined in the past three years, the fewest in the NFL.
They haven’t made the playoffs since 2021.
After serving as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, Robert Saleh takes over as the Titans’ new head coac. Can he turn his new team around in Year 1 or will it be yet another losing season? NFL Football is finally back, and it’s time for a 2026 Titans season preview.
Quarterback Preview
While Saleh is known as a defensive coach, he brought in former New York Giants coach Brian Daboll to serve as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator. Daboll will attempt to help develop second-year quarterback Cam Ward (59.8%, 3,169 yards, 15 TD) into an elite quarterback.
The Titans selected Ward with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, with the hope that he can become the club’s franchise QB. The former Miami Hurricane had an up-and-down rookie year, but he did show flashes of becoming a star.
Daboll has the track record to help Ward improve. During his tenure as the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator, he was instrumental in Josh Allen’s development, helping the MVP quarterback raise his 52.8% completion percentage as a rookie to 69.2% in his third year. Perhaps under Daboll’s guidance, Ward can enjoy a great sophomore season in Music City.
Key Offseason Additions
Like every NFL team, the Titans made a ton of new additions to the roster. Their free agent signings were highlighted by:
- WR Wan’Dale Robinson (92 rec, 1,014 yards, 4 TD)
- DL John Franklin-Myers (7.5 sacks, 25 tackles, 15 QB hits)
- CB Alontae Taylor (2 INT, 83 tackles, 11 passes defended)
- CB Cor’Dale Flott (1 INT, 38 tackles, 11 passes defended).
Robinson signed a four-year, $70 million contract, which honestly seems steep for a slot receiver. Still, Robinson is familiar with Daboll’s offense, as he spent the first four years of his career with the Giants, where Daboll was recently the head coach. Meanwhile, Franklin-Myers was a major part of the Denver Broncos’ defensive line success, and should team with All-Pro Jeffery Simmons (11 sacks, 67 tackles, 21 QB Hits) to form an excellent interior pass-rushing duo.
And when it comes to the Draft, Tennessee landed some talented players like WR Carnell Tate, (Round 1, Pick 4), EDGE Keldric Faulk (Round 1, Pick 31), and RB Nick Singleton (Round 5, 165th overall pick). Tate should emerge as a dangerous offensive weapon for Ward, and Faulk brings elite run defense and physical potential to Saleh’s front. Singleton, meanwhile, could turn out to be an excellent backup for Tony Pollard (242 carries, 1,082 yards, 5 TD).
Top Breakout Candidate: Gunnar Helm
After TE Chig Okonkwo led the Titans in both receptions (56) and receiving yards (560), he signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Washington Commanders.
With Okonkwo out of the picture, Helm (44 rec, 357 yards, 2 TD) is now the main man in the Titans’ tight end room. The 2025 fourth-round pick out of Texas is primed to have a breakout campaign. At 6-5 and 241 pounds, Helm has the size and length that make him a quarterback-friendly target, which is a good thing for Ward.
What to Expect in 2026
The 3-14 Titans finished with the worst record in the AFC South last season. While they’re probably not going to the Super Bowl (hey, you never know, right?), they could surely improve this season. It depends a lot on whether Ward takes a leap in his second year.
To be 100 percent realistic, though, expect the Titans to finish last once again in the AFC South, which might be the best division in the league. The Jaguars and Texans both have Super Bowl aspirations. The Colts are trending up. The Titans, meanwhile, are just trying to get competitive again. New additions like Robinson and Tate should help immensely, but the team is rebuilding and still doesn’t have enough talent to surpass the other teams in the division right now.
Here’s the full Titans schedule.