The Titans' Biggest Question Mark is Obvious- And it's Not Cam Ward

The Tennessee Titans have done a complete makeover of the coaching staff and roster this year. Still, is second-year quarterback Cam Ward the biggest question mark as we begin to close out the month of June?

Oct 19, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans offensive tackle JC Latham (55) walks off the field post game against the New England Patriots at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

When you survey the Tennessee Titans heading into 2026, the question marks are everywhere. An entirely new coaching staff. A second-year quarterback. One of the youngest rosters in the league. There are honestly a million directions you could go here, and most of them are pretty subjective. The most popular response to this question might be "Cam Ward," but my answer would be the unit that is directly in front of him.

The 2026 Tennessee Titans' Offensive Line Makes Me Uncomfortable

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) fields questions from the media on the first day of mandatory minicamp at Vanderbilt Health Football Center, Tenn., Tuesday, June 16, 2026. | DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sure, you could point to Ward and call it a day. You could also make a case for the lack of a solidified pass-rush at edge – it sure seems like Robert Saleh and company are going to bank on some really young pass rushers, lean on a committee approach, and trust that a defensive mastermind who helped coordinate so many impressive San Francisco attacks — alongside Gus Bradley and his CVS-receipt-length resume on the defensive side — can scheme up pressure and squeeze the most out of these young ends.

But to me, the biggest question mark for the Titans is simpler and more fundamental: protecting Cam Ward.

Ward can only improvise so much, and we saw a lot of it last season. I wrote earlier in the week that the improv is, in my opinion, his elite, can't-teach-it trait. But improvisation is a survival mechanism, not a sustainable offensive philosophy. The offensive line just has to be better — full stop.

The Callahan Paradox

Tennessee Titans Offensive Line Coach Bill Callahan runs drills during the Tennessee Titans second day of training camp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, July 24, 2025. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ex-Titans' offensive line coach Bill Callahan is widely regarded by the football masses as one of the greatest offensive line coaches of all time, and maybe that's true. But the reality is that the group he coached in Tennessee was a gigantic disappointment, and the offense collectively improved only after both Bill and Brian Callahan were no longer with the team.

The numbers back up the alarm. Per StatMuse, the Titans allowed 56 sacks in 2025 — the sixth-most in the entire NFL.

Who's Protecting Cam Ward?

Peter Skoronski has quietly transformed into objectively the best lineman on this roster, and some are already tabbing him as the next one in line for a long-term deal. It's warranted. JC Latham is back at right tackle and needs to solidify himself and take a real step forward — I wouldn't call him a total disappointment, but this is a true prove-it year for him, and the Titans will need a lot out of him.

The rest of the projected line shakes out like this: Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle, Skoronski at left guard, Austin Schlottmann at center with rookie Pat Coogan in the mix behind him, and Cordell Volson at right guard with second-year man Jackson Slater competing.

Look, I understand the youth movement and the Titans' clear conviction behind some of these young linemen — along with a couple of the veterans they brought in, especially Schlottmann, who has familiarity with Brian Daboll's system. That matters.

That being said, I'd feel a whole lot more comfortable if the Titans had signed another solidified veteran for the trenches — even if it was just a swing tackle who could fill in at multiple spots if need be. Depth up front is exactly what saves a season when the injury bug inevitably bites.

The Dan Moore Problem

Sep 14, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr (75) takes the field against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

And that brings us to the signing I've been most skeptical of since the day it happened.

Dan Moore Jr. got the bag in free agency — a four-year, $82 million deal at left tackle. I understand the left tackle market is absolutely brutal, and if you don't develop homegrown linemen through the draft, you're forced to overpay on the open market. I get the logic. But the production hasn't matched the price tag.

According to MileHighReport.com, among tackles who saw regular playing time, Moore posted the sixth-worst blown-block percentage in all of football. He also surrendered nine sacks, which was tied for the third-highest total at the position.

The Bottom Line

So yes — Cam Ward is the headline question mark, the name everyone will point to. But the honest answer underneath it is the offensive line. Protect Ward, give him clean pockets and a real foundation, and you expedite his development and unlock everything that made him the No. 1 overall pick. Leave him running for his life behind a unit that allowed 56 sacks a year ago, and you risk stunting — or actively damaging — the most important asset this franchise has.

The improv will always be there. Whether the protection shows up is the question that defines Tennessee's 2026, and can really jolt this offense to the next level.

My hope is that the Titans will make one more late-summer signing to bolster the group. But if they don't, buckle up for a wide range of outcomes with a bunch of young talent in a new scheme.