Titans 2026 Outlook: The Debate Between Winning Now and Drafting Winners Later

Entering Robert Saleh's first season in Tennessee, is it finally time for the Titans to win now? Or, does this never-ending rebuild have a few more years yet?

Jun 16, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans wider receiver Carnell Tate (14) runs with the ball after a made catch during day 1 of mini-camp at Vanderbilt Health Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We're nearly three seasons removed now from the Tennessee Titans bringing Brian Callahan aboard to spearhead a full rebuild. When that failed, it was on Robert Saleh to pick up the pieces and build a competitive squad from the ashes built on Cam Ward.

Saleh, for all of the inherent blocks that come with a year-one rebuild, has done just that. Tennessee has signed veteran playmakers on both sides of the ball, pursued experienced coordinators, and pushed hard to draft long-term rookies in the first draft under the new staff.

All that, and the Titans are still widely projected as the worst team in the AFC South. That poses a question ahead of Saleh's inaugural campaign, one that will define the early stretch of his tenure in Nashville.

Is it time to try and define expectations, and win right now? Or, should the Titans be comfortable biding their time at the bottom of the barrel for at least another season in favor of a massive 2027 draft?

Aug 29, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh watches against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A crucial question that Titans will answer fast

Either way, this query will be answered almost immediately out of the gate. Against a lowly New York Jets team relying on the most turnover-heavy passer in the NFL, Tennessee's current ceiling should be made relatively clear.

Win a winnable game, and the three-win mark from the Titans' last two seasons becomes a midseason metric. Falter and lose by far the easiest game of your first month, and surpassing the mire of the Callahan years looks less likely with the Philadelphia Eagles waiting in Week 2.

To that point, some uncertainty will rest around the Titans until we see them take the field. But based on the current roster makeup and trajectory, it's worth arguing that this group would be better off fighting tooth and nail for present victories than settling for the long way around.

Worth it for Saleh, Tennessee to win now

Of course, no team is out there losing on purpose. All the same, there's something to be said about a franchise taking the slow route in a rebuild to amass talent and come on strong all at once.

The Titans' offseason doesn't reflect a front office with that mindset. CBS Sports listed Tennessee as the team with the ninth most expensive payroll in all the NFL this season, at $345.3 million.

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who just went for two scores and 151 yards in his 2026 debut with Ohio State, is one of many compelling prospects that form a strong argument for holding out. But the Titans just drafted an elite Buckeyes receiver, in Carnell Tate.

Tennessee also signed veterans DE John Franklin-Myers, CB Alontae Taylor, and EDGE Jermaine Johnson on defense. WR Wan'Dale Robinson, another player with four years of experience under his belt, heads up the fresh momentum on offense.

These are not "wait and see" moves, nor do they represent spending money for the sake of it. The Titans got better basically everywhere. However you spin it, the plan wasn't, and still isn't, to be irrelevant all year and end up with another top-five draft pick.