There weren't many Tennessee Titans fans who entered this season expecting this team to make the playoffs. However, very few would have considered a 1-9 start to be a legitimate possibility.
The lack of production from the team as a whole and the lack of growth from rookie quarterback Cam Ward specifically were major factors in the Titans decision to fire Brian Callahan less than two months into the season.
With Callahan gone, fans have struggled to focus their anger and frustration on any individual player. One of the arguments that has gotten louder each week is the idea that if the Titans end up with the first pick in the NFL Draft, the team needs to seriously consider whether Ward is the right quarterback to lead this franchise through the rebuild.
Cam Ward is TiItans' QB of the future despite fan frustration
Ward has to be the quarterback of the future for this team. The No. 1 pick is struggling partially due to the Titans' failure to build a roster that can properly support its rookie quarterback. The offensive line has been inconsistent, the play calling is wildly inconsistent, and Ward can't trust any of his pass catchers to make a play.
The way the Titans can fix that is by getting everyone on the same page. For the first time since Jon Robinson, Mike Vrabel, and Ryan Tannehill, the Titans need to have a GM, head coach, and a quarterback who are on the same timeline.
When the Titans hire their next head coach this offseason, they need to do so with the understanding that Mike Borgonzi, the new HC, and Ward will all be given until the end of 2027 to figure this thing out. If any of those three fail, they fail together.
This is how you prevent finger-pointing and dissension, like what happened in the previous regime, and it should help everyone understand that there are no excuses and no one else is to blame. It'll be a collective success or collective failure.
The next head coach needs to be someone who is willing to bet his career on Ward developing into a franchise quarterback. Similarly, Borgonzi has to trust that the new coach will develop the players he drafts, and as the leader of the team, Ward needs to buy into the vision the new coach is selling.
All of these people need to work together. Ward needs to be the team's starter for 2026 and 2027, at minimum. If he fails, then it is a direct reflection on everyone involved, and Amy Adams Strunk will clean house. If Ward succeeds, it will be because this organization has stabilized from a culture and talent standpoint, spearheading a new, successful era in Tennessee.
That is the timeline the Titans signed up for when they hired Borgonzi and drafted Ward. The next head coach needs to fall in line with that timeline. Fans need to understand and embrace that instead of hoping that their football savior is going to materialize from nothing this offseason.