NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It’s been a year of change for the Titans with a general manager swap, the drafting of a new franchise quarterback and the dismissal of Brian Callahan as head coach as the team continues to lose.
Boos could be heard throughout Nissan Stadium early this season as the team struggled to a 1-8 start. While they have shown some progress under interim coach Mike McCoy with two wins in December, the Titans end 2025 still very much in the rebuild mode.
The Titans were forced to admit that turning things around would not be a quick fix last January after they completed the 2024 season a NFL-worst 3-14. In the days following the season, the organization parted ways with second-year G.M. Ran Carthon.
On January 17th they hired Mike Borgonzi, a respected personnel man, was charged with overhauling the roster after he helped the Chiefs build their dynasty in Kansas City.
“I believe in what I like to call an ‘us culture,’” Borgonzi said at his introductory press conference. “Unity over self in everything that we do. We will put the team above individual agendas and make the best decisions for the Titans.”
Borgonzi’s charge was to rebuild the roster for long-term success. He had a unique opportunity to find the cornerstone piece for the foundation with the Titans holding the no. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
THE TITANS SELECT WARD
Miami’s record-setting quarterback Cam Ward quickly rose to the top of Tennessee’s draft board. A zero-star recruit out of high school, Ward turned heads at three different stops in college.
He was named Incarnate Word quarterback as a freshman when he led FCS in passing touchdowns. He threw for over 4600 hundred yards and 47 touchdowns as a sophomore and was named Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
He then transferred to Washington State for two years before finishing his career with Miami, where he led the Hurricanes to a 10-2 record and set the NCAA Division One record for touchdown passes in a career with 158.
The Titans followed Ward from the NFL Combine to his Pro Day at Miami and a private workout in which they decided they had their new franchise quarterback. It became official on April 24th in Green Bay, Wis. when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Ward as Tennessee’s selection as the no. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“This is an awesome moment for us to be able to add a player the caliber of Cam Ward,” Callahan said shortly after the pick. “And can’t wait to get to work. We’ve got a long road ahead to get ready to go.”
Ward was welcomed to Ascension St. Thomas Sports Park the next day where he was given the right to wear his preferred no. 1 jersey by franchise legend and Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon.
“It’s an honor,” Ward told Newschannel 5’s Steve Layman after being drafted. “Especially to play for a good organization like Tennessee is. Miss Amy (Adams Strunk) – she’s a great owner. The staff there is unbelievable, so I’m right where I want to be.”
Ward quickly took control at rookie mini-camp then impressed teammates and coaches with his tireless work ethic and arm strength during offseason workouts. He further raised expectations amongst fans with an impressive preseason.
FROM EXCITEMENT TO DISAPPOINTMENT
The buzz for Ward’s regular season debut was palpable leading up to the September 7th opener in Denver. But the Titans squandered multiple opportunities to take control of the game and squandered a second half lead against a Broncos team that went on to win the AFC West.
Ward threw for just 112 yards and his fumble with less than a minute to play sealed a 20-12 loss.
“I mean, we didn’t score a touchdown,” Ward said after the game. “That’s the biggest frustration. At the end of the day we just got to continue to get better. It’s only game one. We’ve got a long road ahead of us. We’ve got 16 more to try to get a win.”
The time it would take to get that win would test the organization’s patience. The Titans went on to lose their first four games, including divisional blowouts to Indianapolis, 41-20 at home, and 26-0 at Houston.
Despite a miracle comeback from 21-6 down to beat the Cardinals 22-21 on Joey Slye’s 29-yard field goal on the final play in week five, major change was looming once again.
A CHANGE AT THE TOP
The Titans lackluster 20-10 loss to the Raiders in week six in Las Vegas proved to be the last straw for Callahan, who was fired the morning after the game just six weeks into his second season.
Callahan finished his Titans’ tenure with a 4-19 record. His .174 winning percentage ranks 10th-worst all-time amongst NFL coaches with 20 or more games.
“We were looking for growth in this football team, and that’s what this is about right now,” Titans President of Football Operations Chad Brinker said following Callahan’s dismissal on October 13th. “We’re not seeing enough growth from this football team. We’re 1-5 and we’ve got to be better than this. I want to acknowledge that we’re all frustrated. We understand that you, the fan, is frustrated. We’re doing everything we can – we will – do everything we can to build a football program that you can be proud of.”
Mike McCoy was promoted to interim head coach the following day, but the former Chargers head coach made little impact initially. The Titans lost their next six games, falling to a NFL-worst 1-11.
They were officially eliminated from playoff contention with 25-3 blowout loss to the rival Jaguars.
“Sloppy all around,” McCoy said after that game on Nov. 30th. “Too many mistakes against a good team.”
The Titans did knock off the Browns and Chiefs in December to match last season’s win total but finished last in the AFC South and are scheduled to pick fifth in the 2026 NFL Draft pending the results of Week 18 games this weekend.
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Ward has impressed with his durability. He is the only NFL quarterback to play every offensive snap this season and he set franchise records for games started and snaps played by a rookie.
Ward’s also shown to be capable of the spectacular. That was on display on his first career touchdown pass in week two against the Rams when he was flushed from the pocket, extending the play for over eight seconds as he rolled to his right near the Titans sideline and then threw the ball across his body and back across the field to fellow rookie Elic Ayomanor for the score.
That type of improvisation and spectacular arm strength is why many believe Ward is poised to do great things in the NFL. But he has also struggled to consistently make the routine play and his turnovers have been costly.
Ward committed at least one turnover in each of his first eight games this season. He enters the final week of the season with 18 turnovers in 16 games, including 11 fumbles.
The offense has ranked near the bottom of the NFL all season in points and yards but has shown improvement in December. Ward and the Titans have posted their five highest point totals of the season over the last six games, averaging 22.3 points per game during that span. That number would be good for 20th in the NFL, a 10-spot improvement from the Titans’ current rank, over the course of the season.
FORECAST OF MORE CHANGE
As 2025 comes to a close the Titans are once again pointing to the future. The new Nissan Stadium is scheduled to be completed in early 2027 and the Titans hope that the move next door will come with a completed rebuild on the field.
Their goal is to surround Ward with a more talented and deeper team to allow him to flourish and the franchise to get back into contention for a division title and playoff berths.
But with the search for a new head coach set to begin after Sunday’s finale in Jacksonville and the roster overhaul far from over, that seems unlikely in 2026.
The only thing that seems certain is another year of change for a franchise desperate for stability and wins.
