Why Titans' Offensive Line Might Actually Be Underrated Heading In to 2026

Fans of the Tennessee Titans have not been used to seeing great offensive line play, especially lately. We've grown accustomed to seeing Titans quarterbacks running for their lives and having a revolving door at the tackle spots.

Will that trend continue in 2026? I don't think it will. In fact, I think the offensive line in Nashville may be better than people are expecting. Sure, there are a couple of big question marks, but I think the future is bright in this room.

Today, let me make the case for why this offensive line can be better than many are expecting in 2026.

Worst Offensive Line in the League? Not So Fast

Nov 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans offensive tackle JC Latham (55) attempts to slow down Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Jarrett Bailey of SB Nation recently attempted to build the worst possible NFL team for 2026. Bailey achieved this by selecting the team with the weakest group at every position. For his offensive line, Bailey chose the Titans.

Bailey offered the following rationale for picking the Titans as the worst line in the league:

Cam Ward was sacked 55 times in 2025, which was tied for the most in the league. Tennessee did next to nothing to improve their struggling unit, with their only moves being to sign long-time backup center Austin Schlottmann and draft Arkansas guard Fernando Carmona in the fifth round.
Jarrett Bailey, SB Nation

Don't get me wrong, I don't think the Titans will have the BEST offensive line by any means, but the WORST IN THE LEAGUE? I think that's crazy. Bailey says the Titans are only relying on Austin Schlottman and fifth-round Fernando Carmona to help the line improve, but that's simply not true.

The Titans are also hoping for improvement from JC Latham, who has definitely gotten better since being drafted. Additionally, Pat Coogan, who was a sixth-round pick, has legitimate starting potential at center and shouldn't be ignored. Plus, Peter Skoronski went from just a solid guard to a legitimate possible All-Pro heading into 2026.

I don't think Schlottmann should be overlooked either, by the way. The Titans' starting center in 2025 was Lloyd Cushenberry, who was released this offseason. Cushenberry earned a 55.2 PFF grade in 2025, which ranked 36th out of 40 qualified centers. Do we really not think Schlottmann can be better than the 36th-ranked center?

While Cushenberry struggled mightily in 2025, Schlottmann actually had an underrated season. Granted, he wasn't relied upon to start, but he earned a very respectable 70.8 grade in 363 snaps. Schlottmann had the 10th best PFF grade out fof 40 centers, so there's reason to believe he can be an adequate starter.

So, sure, if nobody gets better at all, the Titans probably will have one of the worst offensive lines in the league. But there's no reason to think Latham and Skoronski can't get better, and it's also not hard to imagine Schlottmann being a significant upgrade over Cushenberry.

Biggest Question Mark

Tennessee Titans guard Jackson Slater (64) leaves the field after the loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While I've hopefully alleviated some concerns about the center spot, I will acknowledge the right guard spot is a bit more questionable. The Titans had Kevin Zeitler at the position in 2025, but the veteran has not been re-signed, and it seems like he won't be. Zeitler was an above-average starter, so it's reasonable to worry about his loss.

Right now, it seems like Jackson Slater is the favorite to earn the starting RG spot. Slater didn't get on the field a ton as a rookie in 2025, but he did earn a nice 79.2 grade as a pass-blocker. If Slater can maintain a similar level of production over a large sample size, he could turn into an above-average starter in his own right.

Slater is the biggest X-factor heading into the season. I think three of the starters will be average and one will be above-average, so that means Slater could make all the difference.

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