The 2025-26 Titans: A Postseason Autopsy

With an egregious yet somehow fitting 41-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road, the 2025-26 season has officially come to a close for the Tennessee Titans.

Having painstakingly replicated last year's 3-14 record, little seems to have changed for the franchise upon first glance.

But a deeper look reveals a team now in a completely different place, having just gone through one of the most dramatic NFL seasons for any squad in recent memory.

In one campaign alone, Tennessee fired Brian Callahan not even midway through his second year at the position, lost veteran receiver Tyler Lockett upon his own requested release, went winless in their division for the first time in more than 40 years and, perhaps more impressively than anything else, retained an interested fanbase throughout the whole thing.

One Redemptive Aspect

Yet as much suffering as the Tennessee Titans have both caused and endured, one aspect of their current, maligned situation cannot be ignored, even by the most frivolous detractors: Cam Ward, backed by the rest of his developing counterparts, is very, very good.

After a slow start to his rookie campaign, the Titans' game manager - chosen first overall in last year's draft - put together a convincing resume for redemption in the final eight games of the year.

Cam Ward in the final eight games of the season:

-165/266 (62%)
-10 Touchdown Passes
-1 Interception
-103.46 Passer Rating
-2 Rushing Touchdowns
-Four Straight Games with 2 TD passes (Weeks 14-18)
-2 Games with over 100 Passer Rating

The future is bright 🤩🤩#Titans #TitanUp pic.twitter.com/OrMpPVdyVU
— SharmSports (@SharmSports) January 4, 2026

Throwing 10 touchdowns through the air to just one interception, notching two rushing scores to boot, Ward led a late-season push from the Titans offense that came to define the team down the line.

Even as they continued to lose on a mostly regular basis, save for two wins against arguably compromised opponents, optimism surrounding what Ward and, by extension, the Titans could become skyrocketed to previously unimaginable levels.

Ward's supposed ceiling has been blown off, and the result is a head coaching search that both feels especially important and is almost entirely focused on his continued improvement.

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Completing the Search

Who the Titans hire will likely determine how next season's autopsy goes in comparison to this one. With an extremely high pick in next year's draft all but guaranteed and loads of talent already gearing up to take the team to the next level, the final missing piece is a coach who can put it all together.

Not only can a hire like Callahan's not be repeated, but whoever inks the eventual deal needs to be around for the long haul if the Titans are to truly return to relevancy.

And now that the offseason has began, the clock is officially ticking in Tennessee.

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