A Painful Reflection on What the Titans Could've Been

The Tennessee Titans' offseason has begun with the recent 41-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars to close the regular season. And with it, the first snap will be hiring a new head coach.

On Jan. 2, Owner Amy Adams Strunk laid out the game plan, detailing both the process and who’ll be calling the shots.

For the first time in a while, the Titans’ front office looks like it’s lining up correctly.

But not everyone’s buying the reset.

How Tennessee Let a Playoff Core Slip Through Its Fingers

ESPN Sports Bet jumped on X and chose violence with a brutal question for Titans fans, asking: “Could the Titans win the AFC South with Malik Willis, Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown and Mike Vrabel? "

Could the Titans win the AFC South with Malik Willis, Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown and Mike Vrabel? 😳 pic.twitter.com/K2B1d42g1i
— ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) December 28, 2025

What followed was a trip down memory lane where Mike Vrabel, Derrick Henry, Malik Willis, and A.J. Brown were all still rocking Titans colors.

Vrabel is currently taking the Patriots to their first divisional win since Tom Brady, in just his first year as HC. Back in Nashville, Vrabel took the Titans to the playoffs three times, won two AFC South titles, and even punched a ticket to the AFC Championship Game in 2019. But a brutal 13–21 skid across 2022 and 2023 slammed that window shut—and ultimately cost him his job. Since the 2019–21 run? No playoff appearances. The clock officially ran out.

Then there’s Malik Willis. Drafted in the third round in 2022, he came into the league dripping with upside and preseason hype. However, he wrapped up his tenure with just three starts, zero touchdown passes, and a short leash. After flashing some growth in the 2024 preseason, Tennessee shipped him to Green Bay to back up Jordan Love—another development project that never really took off in Nashville.

And then comes the move that still haunts Titans Twitter. Treylon Burks was recently waived and placed on IR, with plans to release him once healthy, officially closing the book on the A.J. Brown trade. Injuries, inconsistency, and missed expectations defined Burks’ run, while Brown turned into a certified superstar in Philadelphia. In hindsight, it’s one of the ugliest trades in NFL history.

Finally, there’s Derrick Henry. He debuted with the Ravens in the 2024 season opener against Kansas City, marking the first time he suited up for a team other than the Titans. Eight seasons. Two rushing titles. Endless stiff-arms. One iconic 99-yard run. Henry is a Titans legend forever—but that era is officially over.

Baltimore scooped up the league’s active rushing leader on a two-year deal as Tennessee fully turned the page on the Henry–Vrabel–Tannehill chapter two years ago. Looking back now, this question hits like a missed tackle in the open field. Avoidable, painful, and impossible to forget.

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