Tales of the Titans: 2026 Season Preview
NFL football is back, and with it, the Tennessee Titans! Tennessee had a busy offseason and enters the 2026 season with a new head coach, talented rookies, and a year two QB looking to take the next step in his development. Here’s my season preview for the boys in the new Titans Blue!
In the past, I have written a game recap after most, if not every, game of the season. However, this fall I am back in school after my gap year as a freshman in college, meaning I may not have as much time to write. With this in mind, Tales of the Titans will have 5 entries for the ‘26 season, this season preview for the first entry, and the other 4 recaps of 4-5 games at a time. Without further ado, let's get into how the Titans are looking for 2026!
Offseason Moves:
The biggest move that Tennessee made was hiring former Jets head coach and 49ers DC, Robert Saleh, as their new head coach. Following the disaster of 1-and-a-half years of Brian Callahan, the Titans sought a defensive-minded head honcho. The offense also gets a jolt in the hiring of former Giants head coach, Brian Daboll,as the OC. I am very excited to see what he can do with 2025 1st overall pick, QB Cam Ward. While both Saleh and Daboll aren’t remembered well in the city of New York, their times as coordinators for the Niners and Bills are well respected.
GM Mike Borgonzi didn’t just revamp the staff, he also brought in big names in free agency. The main acquisition was WR Wan’Dale Robinson from the Giants on a 4-year, $70 million deal. Robinson was drafted by Daboll in NY and is coming off his first 1,000-yard receiving season. He should complement veteran Calvin Ridley and 4th overall pick Carnell Tate well.
Defensively, the Titans added key starters in CB Cor’Dale Flott from NYG and traded for a Saleh draftee, EDGE Jermaine Johnson, from the Jets. In addition to them, Borgonzi traded back into the end of the first round and selected EDGE Keldric Faulk from Auburn.
Overall, I really like the moves made to supplement the roster. I think that Saleh and Borgonzi have worked well together to build a roster that supports Saleh’s aggressive, fast, and physical style of play.
Roster Outlook:
The offensive side of the ball remains similar to last year, which on the surface is scary in a bad way, but when you look into it, it really isn’t that bad. Ward looks to take a massive leap in his development with Daboll calling the shots, while RB Tony Pollard looks to continue his streak of 4 straight 1,000 yard rushing seasons. RB Tyjae Spears backs him up and has shown promise at times in his career, albeit not that often due to injuries. The receiving corps should be a good one with Ridley, Robinson, Tate, second-year men Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, as well as second-year TE Gunnar Helm. The line is anchored by standout LG Peter Skoronski, who just inked a 4-year, $100 million contract, the highest for a guard in league history.
It may not be the greatest cast, but Borgonzi and Saleh clearly believe in Daboll’s ability to coach up and get the most out of the offense.
Defensively, the Titans’ strength is in their Front-7, most notably superstar DT Jeffery Simmons. Big Jeff looks to be the anchor once again, and is coming off his best season yet, with a career high 11 sacks, an absurd number for an interior lineman. In addition to him Tennessee brought in EDGE John Franklin-Myers, another former Saleh player. Johnson and Faulk slot in along with JFM and 2025 second rounder Femi Oladejo to round out a deep group.
The Titans also have good talent in their linebacking crew, highlighted by 3rd year man Cedric Gray, whose 164 total tackles ranked 4th in the NFL last year. Veteran Cody Barton looks to have a bounce-back season and will feel the pressure of new second round pick, athletic Anthony Hill Jr. who was a monster at Texas. The secondary raises more questions, but veteran leader S Amani Hooker should form a quality duo with young S Kevin Winston Jr. at the back end. Free agent additions Flott and CB Alonte Taylor slot in to start at corner.
The defense was better than many remember last season, and they have stars at all three levels, in addition to young developing assets too. It is up to Coach Saleh to put in the right scheme to maximize the players on the roster.
Final Thoughts:
It isn’t a great roster, but I am excited because of Ward and Tate, as well as the other rookies and second-year players who are primed for a big step in their developments. I have much more faith in this year’s staff with Saleh and Daboll taking the reigns on both sides of the ball. The team may not make the playoffs, but the buzz around them is a buzz that I haven’t felt for a while. With Ward, Saleh, their new jerseys, and a new stadium coming in 2027, I can’t wait for the 2025 season to kick off!
Schedule and Planned Tales:
Week 1 to Week 4:
vs. NYJ, vs. PHI, at NYG, at BAL
Week 5 to Week 8:
vs. HOU, at IND, vs. CLE, at CIN
BYE WEEK
Week 10 to Week 13:
vs. JAX, at DAL, at JAX, vs. WAS
Week 14 to Week 18:
at DET, vs IND, at LV, vs PIT, at HOU
Record Ceiling: 10-7
Record Floor: 5-12
Record Prediction: 7-10
The Titans’ over/under for the season is set at 6.5 wins. I think they will be right around that mark. With an overhauled coaching staff, I would expect growing pains initially, but I am excited to see the talent of Cam Ward under OC Brian Daboll. If that pairing meshes well and the new weapons contribute on both sides of the ball, then I can see a double digit win season and a possible playoff berth. If the team gets hit with the injury bug, or if Ward shows little development, I could see a 4-5 win season.
My honest prediction is a 7-10 season where the team shows strides and is in the playoff hunt for most of the season, but fails to reach by a couple games. One thing Tennessee has going for them is a very volatile division. The Texans have a great defense, but have major questions surrounding their offense. The Jaguars are running it back with a team that went 13-4 last year, but flamed out in the Wild Card Round. The Colts have a flawed roster with their QB Daniel Jones coming off a torn achilles. All 4 teams in the division have good strengths but crippling weaknesses, so anything is possible.
I am excited for this new regime in Tennessee. I have had hope over the past couple seasons only to be disappointed. The Titans haven’t made the playoffs since 2021. They have a new logo, new jerseys, new coach, and are getting a new stadium next season.
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