The Tennessee Titans are coming off consecutive 3-14 campaigns. General manager Mike Borgonzi spent a league-leading amount of money in free agency to accelerate this painful rebuild. After recent 53-man roster cuts, the Titans appear primed to be significantly more competitive.
Fortunately, the Titans possess a path to showcase legitimate on-field improvement. First-year head coach Robert Saleh takes control of a roster he had significant input over. Coach Saleh has likely already identified matchups on the schedule he's looking forward to.
Do the Titans possess any guaranteed victories on the 2026 schedule after analyzing 53-man roster cuts? Perhaps that's bold, given the Titans' recent history. Nonetheless, Tennessee should approach the following contests with a quiet sense of confidence.
Tennessee Titans should feel great about three games on their 2026 schedule
Week 1 vs. New York Jets
The league office scheduled Saleh's revenge game opportunity for Week 1, as a New York Jets organization he was previously in charge of will visit Nashville in Week 1. The storylines are endless here. The Titans have a plethora of former Jets players and coaches on the roster, including Saleh, Jermaine Johnson II, and John Franklin-Myers. The Jets have ex-Titans like T'Vondre Sweat and Jarvis Brownlee starting on their defense. The Titans should be further along in their rebuild, allowing Saleh to exact revenge.
Week 7 vs. Cleveland Browns
Arguably no franchise is in an earlier stage of rebuild than the Cleveland Browns. Some view first-year head coach Todd Monken as a sitting duck. They are a franchise in-limbo until they officially commit to a long-term quarterback solution. Most expect that to occur via the 2027 NFL Draft (Arch Manning or Dante Moore?) after they named Deshaun Watson as the 2026 starter. Tennessee defeated Cleveland 31-29 last season, and they've gotten better, while the Browns got worse.
Week 16 @ Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are believed to be beginning the regular-season campaign with veteran Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback. By the time they play the Titans in Week 16, it would be shocking if No. 1 overall selection Fernando Mendoza wasn't starting for Klint Kubiak. Rebuilding teams with rookie quarterbacks tend to struggle in Year One. The Titans learned that lesson the hard way with Cam Ward last season. By the end of 2026, Saleh's squad should be hitting their stride, well-positioned to defeat the Raiders.
Add us as a preferred source on Google