It's Time For Titans to Rebrand

According to all conceivable metrics, the Tennessee Titans are thoroughly rebuilding. Bringing on Robert Saleh as head coach is one thing, but thereafter sweeping through almost the entire assistant staff, assigning roles to new names across the board, is a sign of commitment to something fresh and, hopefully, better.

Yet something about the franchise as it currently operates is reminiscent of recent struggles. From Mike Vrabel's hotly debated firing to Brian Callahan's hotly debated hiring (and cooly agreed upon firing), the relatively new navy blue insistence that pervades the baby blue and red can be taken as a dreary sign of the times.

To that point, it's time for the Titans to ditch it. Along with Saleh and his first-year staff, the franchise can return to schemes and aesthetics of old to push the promise of real competitiveness in Nashville once more.

The Return of Real Competition

The year is 1997 and, upon a relocation to Nashville, the Houston Oilers emblazon their helmets with representation of Tennessee. Two years after that, in 1999, the Tennessee Titans are officially rebranded, and born.

One year later, the franchise makes the Super Bowl. Their seven-point loss, then, appeared less significant in the face of the team's seemingly unstoppable upward trend. It's been 26 years since then, and the Titans haven't returned to the big game.

For the sake of faith in Saleh (and Cam Ward), Tennessee should take a nod from their own history of success and repeat the process. This isn't to say that the "Oilers" should make a comeback; rather, being a Titan could, and should, mean something different from here on out.

Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi, left, and new head coach Robert Saleh | DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It should mean winning, and winning big. And fans should be proud to wear whatever logo, colors and words come with that.

Winning, and Winning Big

In his introductory press conference - amidst consistent rumors that the Titans are indeed trending towards an updated look and feel - Saleh promised fans that he'd bring a championship "home" to their city.

A lot of coaches share similar sentiments, but few are as reckless as to ditch the hopeful aspect of those ideas and fuel the ideas with declarations about reality. The Titans have a HC who isn't worried about what the franchise is, but rather, what it could be.

In a similar vein, a full-on rebranding of all things Tennessee Titans has the potential to fuel the same fire in a fanbase that has far too long had it extinguished.

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