The Tennessee Titans start their 2026 NFL season at home when they host the New York Jets at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, at 12:00 p.m. CST on Sunday, September 13.
The Titans’ preseason outings didn’t show us very much. The starters played a minimal number of snaps while new head coach Robert Saleh and his new coordinators continued to evaluate players. Like every other NFL team, they trimmed their roster down to 53 players on August 30th and have made a few additional moves since then.
While there is an aura of cautious hope around this team, there is also a smidge of, “Is this really going to work?” The consensus among experts right now keeps the Titans near the bottom of the power rankings, and only their play on the field and ability to win games will see them move up.
As we enter Week 1, here’s a look at where the Titans place in a multitude of power rankings.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 28
They’re counting on a young offense led by second-year QB Cam Ward to take a major step. They’re counting on a defense infused with expensive free agent upgrades to take a major step. And they’re counting heavily on Saleh to make it all work. Yet the preseason suggested they shouldn’t necessarily count on instant results in 2026.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 27
Cam Ward completed 13 of 24 passes for 126 yards in the preseason and struggled on any downfield throws. Some have fairly pointed out that he was better in joint practices. We’re going to get to see. Ward faces a huge season in his career path.
Diante Lee, The Ringer: 28
I’m starting to second-guess the optimism I had about quarterback Cam Ward. I know it was only the preseason, but he looked shaky in action; he finished his two starts, against the 49ers and Seahawks, with six sacks and a 69.1 passer rating. He still makes mistakes with his pocket management and invites pressure, and he’s struggling to play efficiently within the structure of the offense. I’m willing to withhold any legitimate panic until later in the year, but we need to see some proof of concept this season to keep questions about him being a bust at bay.
He’ll also need some help from rookie receiver Carnell Tate, whom the team drafted fourth overall (but whom we should also keep reasonable expectations for, as this receiving class was particularly weak). Rookie receivers rarely dominate to start their careers, so I don’t need to see him play like Ja’Marr Chase as much as I need to see him consistently get separation and give Ward a dependable option. If their connection lags in the first month of the season, I will start raising some (way-too-early) red flags.
Ralph Vacchiano, FOX Sports: 27
Super Bowl odds: +13000
QB Cam Ward has had a very uneven summer, which isn’t a good sign. If OC Brian Daboll can get him pointed in the right direction, there’s enough around him for the Titans to be a hard team to beat. But right now, that’s a big “if.”
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 28
Cam Ward didn’t look good in the preseason. Then again, it’s the preseason. Let’s slow the roll. But he has to be better.
Pete Martuneac, Sports Illustrated: 26
Robert Saleh is going to have his hands full trying to turn the Titans around. He’s got some playmakers to work with, but a lot is riding on the second-year development of quarterback Cam Ward.
Chad Graff and Josh Kendall, The Athletic: 28
First game: vs. Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Mock’s projected win total: 5.8
The Titans are a combined 6-28 the past two seasons, so it’d be hard to go anywhere but up, especially as a new regime led by Robert Saleh enters. Saleh remade the team’s defense, bringing in five new starters, and added wide receiver Carnell Tate in the first round to help second-year quarterback Cam Ward.
Walter Football: 28
The Titans actually have some decent pieces around Cam Ward with Wan’Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate joining the team. However, the offensive line is still suspect, while the defense still has plenty of holes even though some upgrades were added like John Franklin-Myers and Jermaine Johnson.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 28
Milestone to watch: The Titans are one win from 500 as a franchise, including the playoffs and dating back to 1964 as the Houston Oilers.
The Titans have won only six games in the past two seasons. However, their next win will put them at 500 victories as a franchise (499-552-6 overall record). Tennessee will have a good chance to win in the season opener at Nissan Stadium against the Jets, who finished with a 3-14 record last season. Currently, that’s one of only two games Tennessee is favored to win this season (the other being against the Browns in Week 7). The last time the Titans won a season-opening game was a 16-14 victory at Denver in 2020.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: NFL power rankings round-up 2025: How do Titans fare entering Week 1?
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