Titans Ranked One of the Worst NFL Teams

The Tennessee Titans are entering a new era. After finishing with the worst record in the league in 2024, the Titans received the first overall pick in the draft. Head Coach Brian Callahan and General Manager Mike Borgonzi evaluated their options, but it didn't take long for them to decide Miami QB Cam Ward was their guy.

Drafting a rookie QB high in the draft can alter the future of the franchise. Whether that's for good or bad, you never really know until the season begins, but there is a lot of optimism within the building that Ward is going to be their franchise QB.

There have been a ton of examples of young quarterbacks stepping in and completely turning things around for their respective franchises. Look back to last year when the Commanders, who were 4-13 in 2023, drafted Jayden Daniels, and in year one, he led them to the NFC Championship game. Box Nix did the same thing with the Broncos, just to a much lesser extent. C.J. Stroud also did it with the Texas back in 2023. They won three games the year before they drafted him, but he had a stellar rookie season and helped them win the AFC South as a rookie.

The Titans hope Cam Ward can come in and have that same type of effect in year one. It's hard to see a world where they make the playoffs right away, but they're capable of winning more than three games.

Tennessee Titans, QB, Cam War — Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) exits the field after an NFL pre-season game against the Minnesota Vikings at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the consensus is that the Titans will be much better in 2025, many still expect them to finish towards the bottom of the league. ESPN's Mike Clay ranked all 32 NFL teams on Sunday, and he believes the Titans are the 28th best team in the NFL heading into the 2025 season.

Here's what he had to say.

"The Titans are entering a new era with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward at quarterback. Tennessee improved its offensive line, but growing pains are probable and the skill positions are still a work in progress. And besides the great defensive tackle duo of Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat, the defense doesn't have much for opponents to fear."

The Titans have done a good job this offseason of finding their QB and putting pieces around him to succeed in year one. There's still a lot to improve on this roster before they're a contender, but Callahan and Co. are heading in the right direction.

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