Just two years ago, the Tennessee Titans were featured in four prime-time matchups, but the recently unveiled 2025 NFL schedule tells a different story — not a single night game for the franchise. It’s a sharp reminder of how quickly fortunes shift in the NFL, and how far the Titans have fallen from the spotlight.
Following a dismal three-win campaign last season, Tennessee secured the No. 1 overall draft pick — a sign of rock bottom and a potential turning point. Determined to rebuild, the franchise is embracing a fresh philosophy under president of football operations Chad Brinker: “Draft, Develop, Retain.”
Selecting quarterback Cam Ward with the top pick marked the beginning of this new era. But as Brinker outlined back in January, the team’s revival hinges not just on drafting talent — but on nurturing and keeping it. Ward’s growth will be the clearest measure of whether this new direction can restore the Titans’ relevance.
“We’re going to build the core of our roster through the draft, and we’re going to be selective in free agency,” Brinker told ESPN. “No. 2, it means we’re going to emphasize player development, particularly our young players. And, No. 3, once those players are developed, we’re going to be looking to retain our core performers, our very best. I grew up in this system. It’s what I know, it’s what I believe in.”
The Tennessee Titans are entering the new season in full rebuild mode — both on the field and in the heart of downtown. Towering over the cityscape is the $2.2 billion New Nissan Stadium, a symbol of the franchise’s ambitious reset, with construction set to wrap by 2027. It’s a physical reminder of a team eager to turn the page after back-to-back underwhelming seasons.
Instability has defined the past three years. In 2022, what looked like a clear path to a third straight AFC South title unraveled into a seven-game skid and a 7-10 finish — Tennessee’s first losing record since 2015. Just two games into that collapse, controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk made a bold move, firing general manager Jon Robinson.
Ran Carthon was tapped to steer the turnaround, but after a 6-11 campaign in 2023, head coach Mike Vrabel was dismissed. Brian Callahan took over on the sidelines, yet a 3-13 finish the following year spelled the end of Carthon’s brief tenure as well.
Now, the Titans are in urgent need of reinforcements. Only six players on the current roster boast Pro Bowl honors — Tony Pollard, Jeffery Simmons, Kevin Zeitler, Johnny Hekker, Morgan Cox, and Tyler Lockett — and just two, Simmons and Cox, earned that recognition while in a Titans uniform.
Zeitler anchors a retooled offensive line, a cornerstone of new general manager Mike Borgonzi’s vision to rebuild from the trenches and restore competitive identity.
“You want to build the foundation,” Borgonzi told ESPN in January at the Senior Bowl. “In terms of our philosophy, we want to really build the fronts first.”
As part of its ongoing rebuild, Tennessee made a statement in free agency, reinforcing its offensive line with two major additions. The Titans signed veteran guard Kevin Zeitler to a one-year, $9 million deal and landed left tackle Dan Moore Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers on a four-year, $80 million contract. The moves clear the way for last year’s No. 7 overall pick, JC Latham, to return to his natural position at right tackle — where he thrived at Alabama.
That shift should provide a significant upgrade at a spot that plagued Tennessee in 2023. Titans right tackles allowed a league-high 29 sacks last season — the most by any group at the position.
Shoring up protection is a key step in the Titans’ plan to stabilize the offense, but the quarterback role remains far from settled. While top overall draft pick Cam Ward may be the future, head coach Brian Callahan emphasized that he’ll have to earn it. Ward enters training camp in an open competition with last year’s starter Will Levis and veteran additions Kyle Allen and Tim Boyle.
“They’re all going to have opportunities to compete,” Callahan said when asked how the quarterback reps will be divided up in OTAs and minicamp. “There’s three quarterback jobs on most teams. Sometimes four. We’re going to let them compete for all those.”
Head coach Brian Callahan appears to be embracing competition this time around — perhaps a lesson carried over from his first season at the helm. Last year, Will Levis was handed the starting job out of the gate, but his grip on the position loosened as the season progressed, eventually leading to a mid-season quarterback battle with Mason Rudolph.
“I think we could have done a better job [last season], and our job is to do it better the next time,” Callahan said. “You make adjustments, you grow, you do things differently and certainly there’s parts of that that I learned lessons in, and I’ve learned to move forward and you try to grow and do it better the next time.”
By definition, Cam Ward faces a true competition as he strives to climb the quarterback depth chart. This season presents Ward with a chance to prove himself and earn the respect of his teammates by winning the starting role outright. And Ward is ready to meet that challenge head-on.
“I always embrace competition,” Ward said after rookie minicamp. “Anything we’re doing, we compete, so it really doesn’t bother me. At the end of the day it’s a job so that’s how you got to approach it.”
On defense, the Titans will lean on second-year coordinator Dennard Wilson to steady the unit’s performance. Jeffery Simmons remains the heartbeat of the defense, but like the offense, Tennessee is searching for a dynamic playmaker who can deliver game-changing moments when it matters most.
While Cam Ward aims to ignite the offense, 2025 second-round pick Oluwafemi Oladejo looks to energize the defense. The 6-foot-3, 259-pound outside linebacker transitioned from inside linebacker to pass rusher during his final year at UCLA. Though still raw, Oladejo possesses the physical tools and instincts of a disruptive edge presence. It will be up to the Titans’ coaching staff to mold him into a consistent threat that opposing offenses must respect.
“It’s a lot different, but I’ve learned a lot of the basics of pass rushing and playing the edge,” Oladejo said. “Continue to be a better pass rusher and set the edge. There’s still a lot to improve on. I feel good. But not satisfied.”
Before joining UCLA, Oluwafemi Oladejo faced off against Cam Ward in college — Oladejo at California, Ward at Washington State. In fact, one of Oladejo’s two career interceptions came at Ward’s expense.
Now teammates with the Titans, both players are key pieces in the franchise’s rebuilding blueprint on opposite sides of the ball. Oladejo has already established himself as a high-energy presence who lifts the team’s spirits during practice. Ward is eager to bring that same spark to the locker room.
“I want to be a leader,” Ward said. “I want to be there for my teammates. When everything goes down, I want to be the person to liven everybody back up.”
