Nashville is a mess right now. Not the "pedal tavern blocking Broadway" kind of mess, but the "we just finished 3-14 for the second straight year and fired our coach in October" kind of mess. If you've been following the latest tennessee titans football news, you know the vibe around Nissan Stadium is somewhere between a funeral and a construction site.
Actually, it's literally both.
While the new $2.1 billion stadium rises like a shiny spaceship on the East Bank, the product on the field has been stuck in the mud. Amy Adams Strunk is clearly done being patient. She spent the first week of January 2026 nuking the old front office hierarchy. No more "group projects." No more blurred lines.
It's Mike Borgonzi's show now.
The Titans general manager just got handed the keys to the kingdom. He has final say on the 53-man roster, he’s leading the coaching search, and he’s the one who has to decide if Cam Ward—the 2025 No. 1 overall pick—is actually "The Guy" or just another jersey fans will find in the clearance bin at T.J. Maxx in three years.
The Brian Callahan Experiment Failed: What Now?
Let's be real: the Brian Callahan era was a disaster. 4-19. That’s the record. You can’t spin that. He was gone by October 13, 2025, after a 1-5 start that saw the Titans getting outscored by 69 points in just four weeks. It was ugly. Honestly, it felt like the team forgot how to play professional football for a month there.
Now, the search is on.
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Word is the Titans are pivoting hard toward experience. They tried the "young offensive coordinator" route and it blew up in their faces. This time, names like Robert Saleh and Mike McCarthy are floating around the rumor mill. Saleh is particularly interesting because, despite his Jets tenure being a rollercoaster, his defenses were always elite. And Lord knows this Titans defense needs help; they were among the worst in the league last year, even with Jeffery Simmons playing like a man possessed.
Wait, did I mention Big Jeff?
He’s basically the only reason to watch the defense right now. He notched 11 sacks in 2025 and earned another Pro Bowl nod. He’s the anchor, but he’s an anchor on a ship with a lot of holes.
The Cam Ward Question
Every bit of tennessee titans football news eventually circles back to the quarterback. Cam Ward had a "welcome to the NFL" season that was equal parts thrilling and terrifying.
- The Good: 3,899 passing yards and 21 touchdowns.
- The Bad: 16 interceptions and a completion percentage that hovered around 61%.
- The Reality: He was sacked more times than a grocery bag in a hurricane.
You can't evaluate a kid when he's running for his life on every third down. The offensive line was, to put it politely, a sieve. Borgonzi knows this. That’s why the 2026 offseason has to be about one thing: protection. Whether it's through the draft or spending some of that projected $105.8 million in cap space, someone has to keep Cam upright.
Otherwise, we’re just watching a very expensive car get totaled every Sunday.
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A Massive Offseason Checklist
The Titans have the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Think about that. After picking No. 1 last year, they are right back at the top. It’s a gift and a curse. You get a blue-chip talent, but you're only picking there because you were terrible.
The needs are everywhere.
Edge rusher? Yes. Wide receiver? Desperately. Cornerback? Absolutely.
Calvin Ridley might be a cap casualty soon. Cutting him saves about $13.7 million, which is a lot of scratch to throw at a younger, faster playmaker. Tony Pollard is a solid vet, but the team needs a dynamic back who can actually break a tackle in the open field.
Then there’s the secondary. L'Jarius Sneed and Roger McCreary are basically trying to hold back the tide with a bucket. With Kam Curl and McCreary hitting free agency, that defensive backfield could look completely different by August.
The Stadium is Coming (Ready or Not)
While the team struggles, the construction crew across the street is "knocking it out of the park," according to the latest site updates. The new Nissan Stadium is 75% glazed. The escalators are in. They even test-lit a 15-foot "T" on the facade.
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It looks incredible.
But there’s a catch. Titans attendance dropped nearly 10% last year. People aren't exactly lining up to pay PSL prices for a 3-win team. The "Titans House" experience center is open for fans to pick their seats for 2027, but the team has to give them a reason to actually sit in those seats.
The new building has 60,000 seats—fewer than the current one—which might help with the "sellout" optics. But Nashville is a front-runner town. If the Titans aren't winning, those translucent roof panels are going to be looking down on a lot of empty blue plastic.
What Happens Next?
If you're a fan, here is what you should be watching for over the next six weeks. This is the "make or break" window for the next five years of the franchise.
- The Head Coach Hire: If they go with a defensive mind like Saleh or Jeff Hafley, expect a massive investment in the defensive front. If they go with an offensive guy like Matt Nagy, it's all about "The Cam Ward Project."
- The Ridley Decision: Watch the transactions wire. If Ridley is cut, it signals a total youth movement at receiver.
- Free Agency Aggression: With over $100 million in cap space, the Titans shouldn't just be "active." They should be dominant. They need at least two starting-caliber offensive linemen and a veteran edge rusher before they even get to the draft.
- The No. 2 Pick: Do they stay and take a generational pass rusher, or do they trade back to stock up on picks? Borgonzi’s reputation as a "traditional" GM suggests he might stay put and take the best player available.
The 2025 season was a fever dream we’d all like to forget. But 2026 is where the actual identity of the "New Titans" gets forged. It's scary, it’s expensive, and it’s going to be a wild ride. Keep your eyes on the coaching search—that first domino tells you everything you need to know about where this ship is heading.