Five Winners, Five Losers with Titans Training Camp Approaching

The Tennessee Titans are enjoying summer vacation right now, but training camp is right around the corner. Rookies are set to report on July 23 and veterans on July 28.

It's been a little while since we've seen the Titans on the practice, so we figure now is a great time to refresh everybody on what happened over the offseason. We saw some unexpected players have breakouts, while some others failed to impress. Today, let's identify five players who are entering training camp on a positive and five who aren't.

Winners

Cam Ward

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws the ball during mandatory minicamp at Vanderbilt Health Football Center in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, June 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Cam Ward is undoubtedly a winner of the offseason. The second-year quarterback arrived at the facility focused and in good shape. Ward had some bad moments during OTAs, but was able to bounce back during minicamp and end on a positive.

Another reason why Ward is a winner is due to his supporting cast. All summer, we saw pass-catchers make plays and perform at a high level. The running backs look explosive and ready to roll as well, and Ward seems to have good chemistry with his new weapons and coaches.

Plus, Ward is currently starring on a Netflix show and seems to be riding a ton of positive momentum. The Titans' 2026 season hinges on Ward's development, and it's hard to not be excited about how the offseason went for him.

Robert Saleh

Jun 16, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh talks with the media during day 1 of mini-camp at Vanderbilt Health Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Before the offseason program, Robert Saleh was a huge question mark. Titans fans didn't know much about his personality or philosophy, and others were discouraged by Saleh's lack of success with the New York Jets.

No games have been played yet so I'm not saying Saleh is definitely the perfect hire, but it's easy to be optimistic now. First, we saw how serious Saleh is about health and fitness, with his banning of seed oils. Then, we saw the intensity of his coaching staff and the overall positive vibes that are now around the facility.

Saleh is a winner because the vibe around this team is so much better than it was a year ago. The coach has a clean slate and there's plenty to be excited about heading into his first season in Nashville.

Austin Schlottmann

All offseason, the center and right guard spots for the Titans have been big question marks. Lloyd Cushenberry and Kevin Zeitler, the 2025 starters, are both gone, and the team didn't make any splashy additions to replace them.

At the time, the signing of center Austin Schlottmann didn't generate much buzz. However, Schlottmann has now nearly cemented himself as a starter after a strong summer. The veteran ran as the starting summer in practice and the team even made him available to the media.

Last year, Schlottmann was a depth guard who didn't get many starting opportunities. Now, he's on pace to be a starter in a system he's familiar with. It's easy to consider Schlottmann a winner heading into camp.

Depth Cornerbacks

Many have been worried about the Titans' cornerback depth this offseason. Alontae Taylor, Cor'Dale Flott, and Marcus Harris should be a fine starting trio, but there aren't many proven options behind them.

Well, we should feel slightly better now. Keydrain Calligan, a name nobody was mentioning three months ago, was one of the stars of the summer. Calligan made several plays and had a couple of interceptions. Micah Robinson also had some nice moments and both men seem to be playing themselves onto the roster.

I'm still not saying the depth is strong or anything, but it at least seems like Calligan and Robinson can play. They unquestionably have some momentum heading into camp.

Wide Receivers

The wide receiver room in Nashville is exciting, folks. How many times have we ever been able to say that? Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson looked incredible and got most of the talk, as a result, but it doesn't end there.

Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Xavier Restrepo, and K.J. Osborn all took turns having big days this summer. Even Calvin Ridley looked explosive and fast returning from injury. For the first time in forever, the Titans have a legitimate battle at the bottom of the depth chart for the last spot or two.

I still have no clue who will get the final receiver spot. Literally every receiver on the roster is entering camp with some positive momentum.

Losers

Will Levis and Hendon Hooker

The Titans signed veteran Mitchell Trubisky to be the backup quarterback this offseason. It was always going to be hard for Will Levis or Hendon Hooker to unseat Trubisky as the backup, but they at least could have made it a battle.

Instead, Trubisky easily cemented himself as the best backup QB while Levis and Hooker did nothing to help their cause. The hope was that one of the two would do enough to force the Titans to keep a third quarterback, or perhaps get something in return in a trade.

We're now entering a crucial period for Levis and Hooker. Their NFL career's could be hanging in the balance, so they both need to have a big preseason.

Depth Offensive Linemen

We included Schlottmann as a winner after seemingly securing the starting center job. However, we've seen nothing to make us feel good about the right guard spot.

Cordell Volson was added in free agency, and he's battling with Jackson Slater and rookie Fernando Carmona for the job. None of the three have stood out above the rest yet, which is concerning. Additionally, we have no clue who the swing tackle is going to be.

I feel confident in about five players making the roster. However, I do not feel confident at all in the rest of the roster spots. It's clear that some players need to step up during the back half of the summer.

Femi Oladejo

As a rookie in 2025, Femi Oladejo suffered a leg injury and was thus only active for six games. It was a disappointing campaign for everybody, considering Oladejo was a second-round pick and expected to be a key defensive piece.

It's understandable to have an off season, though, especially when it's due to injury. Expectations were high for Oladejo this offseason, but the UCLA product suffered another injury that kept him out of OTAs and minicamp. It's since been reported that Oladejo was dealing with a hamstring injury, which is concerning because of the way those injuries tend to linger.

Oladejo should still have a big role, assuming he can get healthy, but it's officially time to worry.

Cody Barton

Cody Barton didn't have the best debut with the Titans in 2025. Making matters worse, the Titans selected Anthony Hill Jr. in the second round of the 2026 draft, and Hill seemingly has the potential to start immediately.

As a result of selecting Hill, Barton has routinely been mentioned as a trade candidate. The Titans may prefer to roll with two younger linebackers as opposed to Barton, making the veteran expendable. The one positive is that Hill hasn't done anything yet to take the job away from Barton.

Still, it's hard not to see Barton as a loser of the offseason. Last year, he was essentially guaranteed a starting spot. This year, he's fighting just to remain on the team.

Backup Running Backs

It's been a wild ride for the Titans' running back room this offseason. At first, it seemed like there may be a new rookie starter (Jeremiyah Love), but that obviously didn't happen. The Titans did draft a running back, though, adding Nic Singleton in the fifth round.

The Singleton selection was exciting and it seemed like the rookie would be able to challenge for an immediate role. However, we didn't see much from Singleton this offseason as he recovered from an injury, and Saleh came out and said Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are his bellcows.

I still believe Singleton can be a good player one day, but it doesn't seem like he'll be featured a ton as a rookie. It's hard to see any running back other than the two top guys as winners.

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