The Tennessee Titans are in the midst of Phase 3 of their offseason team activities, laying the groundwork for what they hope will be a Super Bowl run. While that seems like an impossibility at the moment, coming off a disastrous 2024 campaign, it should always be the goal.
Heading into this season, the Titans are one of 12 current NFL franchises that have never won a Super Bowl, and everyone in the organization would love to see that change sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be this year. At least, that is the opinion of Eric Edholm of NFL.com, who ranks the Titans 11th in his rankings of winless Super Bowl teams.
11. Tennessee Titans
New GM Mike Borgonzi seemingly settled on QB Cam Ward about a month prior to this past April’s draft, and all signs point toward the No. 1 overall pick being the favorite as the Week 1 starter. But any talk about the Titans being Super Bowl contenders in Ward’s rookie season — as good as he might be — is almost certainly foolish chatter.
For the Titans, picking Ward is about restarting the clock. They’re now in a five-year window to return to contention and build toward a championship-level roster. Tennessee, which has been outscored by an average of almost nine points a game, remains in the infancy stages of that operation.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the Titans could improve dramatically in the passing game. They were horribly inefficient throwing the ball last season, and Ward — along with some reliable receivers and the makings of a respectable offensive line — can improve that right away. There will be growing pains, of course, but in a weaker division, that might translate to more wins.
But without taking advantage of the AFC South (the Titans are 2-10 vs. division opponents over the past two years) or winning more at home (1-7 under Brian Callahan last season), Tennessee will be stuck as a second- or third-tier club. And it can’t all be on Ward’s plate to improve, either, as the defense and special teams also have major ground they must make up. This could take some time, but Ward should change the team’s longer-term trajectory.
Edholm hits the nail on the head: The Titans need to be better in their own division before they can set their sights on the playoffs or the Super Bowl. The AFC South is one of the least challenging divisions in the NFL and if they cannot compete, they have no chance.
New general manager Mike Borgonzi has made significant changes that should improve the roster, but many questions remain unanswered, and some may not have answers until deep into the season. Yes, there is excitement in Nashville, and there is potential for them to be better in 2025. But those expectations should be tempered.