Why Your Team Sucks 2026: Tennessee Titans - Defector

What the report says

Defector published its 2026 “Why Your Team Sucks” preview for the Tennessee Titans on July 28, with Ray Ratto using the site’s annual anti-preview format to argue that the franchise enters the season with little recent evidence of progress. The piece says Tennessee finished 3-14 in 2025, matching its 2024 mark, and frames the Titans’ combined four-year performance as the NFL’s weakest stretch over that period, reinforced by a poor point differential.

The preview’s central football focus is the transition to head coach Robert Saleh, who is described as replacing Mike McCoy after a rapid run of coaching changes that followed Brian Callahan and Mike Vrabel. Defector notes that Saleh arrives with a defensive background, while the roster’s most urgent question is the protection and development of quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. The article says Ward led an offense near the bottom of the league, took 55 sacks and suffered a shoulder injury in a season-ending loss to Jacksonville.

Ratto also points to roster moves aimed at helping Ward, including drafted receiver Carnell Tate, free-agent receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The piece flags Dave Borgonzi’s hiring as linebackers coach under general manager Mike Borgonzi, his brother, as part of a newly built staff.

The broader context is Tennessee’s standing in the AFC South. Defector says the Titans have reached the playoffs only four times since 2008 and have struggled inside the division since 2022. The preview allows that Ward could improve, Tony Pollard could become more prominent and the defense could stabilize, but its overall tone remains skeptical.