While we can't fully nail down expectations for the Tennessee Titans outside of Nashville, it's safe to say that the fans in the stands at Nissan Stadium are plenty tired of three-win seasons. Robert Saleh taking over from Brian Callahan is supposed to signal a raising of the bar.
Even at Callahan's worst, it may not have been fair to pin the Titans as "tankers." Yet, according to a recent list from Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm, Tennessee is still in that undesirable position.
In going through and ranking all 32 NFL teams in different tiers, Edholm listed the Titans as one of just six teams in the tankers category. What separates the Titans into the bottom tier, even below the already negative "work to do" level right above the floor?
According to Edholm, much of the contention comes back to the QB position. "There's excitement surrounding the Titans if Cam Ward takes a step up," he wrote, adding, "you can't definitively say any of them [these teams] are completely set at the position."
Ward makes all the difference, and he's exactly the reason Tennessee is further ahead of the pack than a lot of folks may initially admit.
In all fairness, the Titans do need to see improvement from Ward. But as a rookie who was thrown into arguably the worst scenario in the league, to escape with 15 touchdowns and 3,000 yards is more than commendable.
With an expectedly improved offensive line (Ward was sacked a league-high 55 times last season), multiple new receivers to throw to, and a different, more stable staff on the sideline, there's not much going against Ward as far as him making sophomore strides goes.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws at team practice Vanderbilt Health Football Center Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Will there be hiccups? Absolutely, and this is by no means an argument that the Titans will be a playoff team this season. But with an offense built around Ward specifically for him to develop within, on top of Robert Saleh building a promising defense in the offseason, it doesn't seem outlandish to say that Tennessee is firmly on the climb back up now.
Not to mention that, if the QB position is the main concern, the Titans could be argued superior to teams in the next tier, like the Atlanta Falcons (who have yet to name a QB1) and New Orleans Saints, who are also trotting out a second-year passer with comparable stats to Ward's.
Coach Saleh could've taken a number of directions upon his hiring, but he chose to take the natural steps to build out from the promising passer he already had in place. Saleh said himself that he was ready to stake his job on the quarterback's success.
This is Ward's team, and because of that identity, the Titans have a chance to surprise a lot of people.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/titans/onsi as Titans Given 'Tankers' Designation: 1 Reason Everyone is Wrong About Robert Saleh's First Year .
