There is a misconception that Mike Vrabel walked into the Tennessee Titans organization and took a bunch of losers to the playoffs instantly.
Do you know when that team actually took off? When they inserted Ryan Tannehill into the starting lineup. Despite Vrabel being there for the entire tenure and not needing to go through a rebuild, the team was 39-18 (68% win rate) when Tannehill started and 15-27 (36% win rate) when he didn't.
That's how important it is to have a starting-caliber quarterback on the roster. If you don't have functional quarterback play, you are going to be a loser. Titans QB Cam Ward is struggling right now, and if this continues, the Titans may be forced to find their next Tannehill.
Cam Ward may have to confront a veteran QB battle if Titans results don't improve
It isn't time to give up on Ward, and this franchise needs to continue to do everything they can to put the best roster around him. He should get all of 2026 to start, no matter how painful it is because a franchise quarterback is the rarest and most expensive commodity in sports. Everyone agreed he had the chance to be that when he came out of Miami.
We'd go so far as to argue the Titans need to continue with Ward into the 2027 season, with one big change. They need to look around the trade market and free agency and do their best to bring in a quarterback they believe can be average or better instantly, like Tannehill was.
This sounds hard, but the NFL is telling you that it is very possible. Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins, and Kyler Murray are reasonable examples of quarterbacks who were cast aside by other teams but came into the right situation and did enough to win games for their new team.
Titans QB Cam Ward may benefit from veteran competition in 2027
If Ward's play continues trending in the wrong direction, this could occur in the offseason. To be clear, this isn't because Ward is bad and should be benched. However, after this season, he will be at the point in his career where he should have a head start on any quarterback brought in. A true competition could benefit him.
The veteran should be brought in to set a high floor for quarterback play. If Ward can meet or beat that, then he should start, and the expensive backup can enjoy his salary on the bench.
However, the Titans can't have another year like this one, or else it will mean sweeping changes for everyone, which won't end well. That is why it is time for this franchise to start thinking about finding their next Tannehill in 2027.
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