Tales of the Titans: 2025 Season Preview
- Om Brown
- 38 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The 2024 Tennessee Titans finished with a brutal 3-14 record in head coach Brian Callahan’s debut season. However, this abysmal finish allowed them to take Miami QB Cam Ward with the #1 pick in the draft. With new GM Mike Borgonzi filling out the roster with key free agent pickups and a very good draft class, there is hope in the Music City for the first time in a while. Here, I will do something that I surprisingly haven’t done yet, which is preview what the 2025 season may look like for the Titans. I will note key departures, additions and draft picks for the team from the offseason, as well as provide an outlook and stat projections for both the offense and defense.
Enjoy!
Key Departures:
- EDGE Harold Landry (Patriots)
- WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (Dolphins)
- LB Kenneth Murray Jr. (Cowboys)
- CB Chiobe Awuzie (Ravens)
- P Ryan Stonehouse (Dolphins)
Key Additions:
- LT Dan Moore Jr. (Steelers)
- RG Kevin Zeitler (Lions)
- LB Cody Barton (Broncos)
- WR Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)
- EDGE Dre’Mont Jones (Seahawks)
Key Draft Picks:
- QB Cam Ward (Miami, Round 1, Pick 1)
- EDGE Oluwafemi Oladejo (UCLA, Round 2, Pick 52)
- S Kevin Winston Jr. (Penn State, Round 3, Pick 82)
- TE Gunnar Helm (Texas, Round 4, Pick 120)
- WR Elic Ayomanor (Stanford, Round 4, Pick 136)
The Offense’s Outlook:
This offense is full of new faces. From Ward to Moore and Zeitler on the line to the revamped pass-catchers, Callahan and Borgonzi overhauled this side of the ball. Callahan, the former Bengals offensive coordinator, will continue to call the offensive plays this season. WR Calvin Ridley looks to build chemistry with Ward, while RB Tony Pollard is back after a 1,000 yard rushing season. I would expect the offense to struggle early on, especially in the first couple weeks as the team plays the Broncos and the Rams, who are very good defensively. However, Callahan has a full season of experience under his belt, and Ward is his handpicked signal-caller. All I want to see from this group is growth throughout the season.Â
Offensive Stat Projections:
QB Cam Ward (3,400 passing yards, 18 passing TDs, 10 INTs)
RB Tony Pollard (1,200 rushing yards, 7 rushing TDs, 200 receiving yards, 2 receiving TDs)
RB Tyjae Spears (500 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs, 200 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD)
WR Calvin Ridley (1,300 receiving yards, 8 receiving TDs)
WR Tyler Lockett (400 receiving yards, 2 receiving TDs)
WR Elic Ayomanor (500 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDs)
TE Gunnar Helm (400 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD)
Team Offensive Awards:
Team MVP: WR Calvin Ridley
Team ROTY: QB Cam Ward
Team Breakout Player: TE Gunnar Helm
The Defense’s Outlook:
Defensively, the team is similar to last season. Borgonzi essentially swapped Landry for Jones and upgraded at linebacker by moving on from Murray for Barton. Up front, Tennessee returns star DT Jeffery Simmons who, alongside RT JC Latham, has transformed his body to play lighter this season. Simmons wants to return to his 2022 form, when he was a 2nd team All-Pro. DT T’Vondre Sweat is back after an impressive rookie season next to Simmons. The duo up the middle of the defensive line should make the run defense a good one for DC Dennard Wilson.
This team also boasts a solid secondary. CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. was a 5th-round pick out of Louisville a season ago and proved to be a diamond in the rough for the Titans. CB Roger McCreary is still a very good slot corner. S Amani Hooker is still in Nashville, and will provide a good veteran presence to the rookie Winston Jr., who could very well become a starter by midseason. However, star CB L’Jarius Sneed is supposed to be healthy this season. Formerly a shutdown corner for the Kansas City Chiefs, Sneed came over in a trade during last offseason, but struggled to stay on the field. If he can stay healthy and return to form, the defense would get a huge boost.
Overall, I believe the defense is better than the offense, but the D might get put in tough situations too early and too often, especially at the start of the season while the offense tries to figure things out. Similar to the offense, I just want to see growth from this unit in ‘25.
Defensive Stat Projections:
DT Jeffery Simmons (7 sacks, 85 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss)
EDGE Dre’Mont Jones (8 sacks, 75 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss)
LB Cody Barton (3 sacks, 100 total tackles, 2 INTs)
CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (2 INTs, 10 PD, 80 total tackles)
CB L’Jarius Sneed (1 INT, 15 PD, 75 total tackles)
S Amani Hooker (4 INTs, 12 PD, 85 total tackles)
Team Defensive Awards:
Team MVP: DT Jeffery Simmons
Team Rookie of the Year: S Kevin Winston Jr.
Team Breakout Player: CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
Final Thoughts:
There is true excitement and buzz in the air in Nashville again. However, the team is still in a rebuild. If Ward can show flashes of greatness, and the team can fight through their struggles and grow together, I would call that a win. The goal for the season will likely be seeing what the offense has in Ward and the young playmakers, and for the defense to try to keep them in games as much as possible. It may not be a good season, but nevertheless, I am ready for the football that this fall will bring in Tennessee. Stay on the lookout for my Titans coverage this season, as well as my work on MLB and College Football.
Until next time, #TitanUp!
Best Case Scenario: 9-8 (in the playoff hunt into late-December)
Worst Case Scenario: 3-14 (similar season to 2024, same mistakes come up again and again)
Likely Scenario: 6-11 (Ward shows signs of being a star, but the offense is too inconsistent)
