2025 will be a reset for the Tennessee Titans, and that should worry the Indianapolis Colts. A new quarterback is running the show on the field. A new general manager is in charge of everything off the field. And a whole lot of new players.
Clearly, something had to be done. After a steady decline that saw them slip from six straight winning seasons between 2016 and 2021, the change began after the 2023 season with the firing of head coach Mike Vrabel. The man who had taken them to the AFC conference championship game in 2020 was out. Offensive-minded Brian Callahan took over. It didn’t appear to help.
The Titans stumbled to the worst record in the league last year. The offense had little firepower. The defense could not stop the run. Both sides of the ball struggled with turnovers and penalties. They have now gone 16-35 over the last three seasons.
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The one silver lining of 2024’s futility was the right to select Cam Ward as their new franchise quarterback. Ward is poised and talented, but he will clearly need a lot of help if he is to lead the resurgence. Let’s take a look at where the Titans stand midway through training camp. But first, let’s see how they got to this point.
Last season
Callahan’s arrival for the 2024 season brought some renewed hope, but most observers recognized that the Titans still had a limited roster. Second-year QB Will Levis was talented but wild. He was as likely to throw a bad pick as a highlight-reel touchdown.
Tennessee hoped that new running back Tony Pollard would take the place of the workhorse Derrick Henry and provide some support for the young quarterback, and that they could cobble together enough offense from their limited receiving corps to put points on the board.
Pollard was OK. Levis made some nice plays but threw too many interceptions and took too many sacks. Their big-ticket acquisition on the outside, Calvin Ridley, was like Pollard. He didn’t play poorly, but he was clearly not transformative.
Most of the offensive woes stemmed from a line that struggled much of the year.
On defense, things weren’t much better. Despite boasting a formidable pair of tackles in Jeffrey Simmons and rookie T’Vondre Sweat, the Titans gave up far too many big running plays. Even with Harold Landry on the outside, they couldn’t really bother opposing QBs.
Inconsistency and mistakes haunted them all season. They opened 2024 with two three-game losing streaks, bookending a win over Miami. Then they lost eight of their final nine games to close at 3-14. Seven of those eight losses were by a touchdown or more.
Ownership had seen enough.
Offseason
When the season ended, Tennessee fired general manger Ran Carthon and replaced him with Mike Borgonzi, who had served in various management capacities in Kansas City as they developed into the best team in the league. Borgonzi immediately began overhauling the roster.
He added four new receivers – two veterans through free agency and two rookies through the draft. He also got a promising young running back in the draft. But the biggest changes came across the offensive line.
With center Lloyd Cushenberry recovering from a torn Achilles, there is a chance that Tennesee will begin 2025 with only one lineman – left guard Peter Skoronski – in the same position from the beginning of 2024.
On defense, Borgonzi did not make any big splashes, but did sign several mid-tier veterans who should help shore up the run defense. He even turned over the team’s specialists, bringing on two veterans to handle the punting and placekicking.
Will we see results on the field?
This season
Much of the Titans’ success will depend on how quickly Ward settles into his role as the starting QB. He has talent and an attitude built for success, but it’s unlikely to happen immediately. Ward and his team will probably struggle early on.
Getting Ridley back in gear would help. The new veteran wideouts – Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson do not figure to move the needle much. But perhaps the rookies – speedy Chimere Dike and possession threat Elic Ayomanor – could develop alongside Ward.
Dan Moore is the new left tackle and Kevin Zeitler will line up at right guard. That’s a couple of quality veterans who should help the rookie signal caller. JC Latham will move to right tackle, while Skoronski stays at left guard.
A couple of other steady veterans – linebacker Cody Barton and safety Xavier Woods – should help with the tackling. But with Landry now gone, it’s hard to see where the pass rush will come from.
Joey Slye and the venerable Johnny Hekker assume the roles of placekicker and punter respectively.
Barring a miracle. Tennessee doesn’t appear to be a threat in the division. But Borgonzi has added some quality players, and Callahan now has a full year as head man under his belt. Titans fans may not be able to count on the playoffs just yet, but they should at least continue to see improvement.
And who knows, should Cam Ward have a rookie season like Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud before him, they could go a lot farther than we expect.