The Jacksonville Jaguars' ultra-aggressive approach at the NFL trade deadline proves one thing: They are betting that 2026 is the year. The Jaguars certainly have the type of roster to contend in the loaded AFC for a solid window of time, and their strategy at the trade deadline is exactly why the Tennessee Titans needed to accumulate picks and stay patient.
Just before the NFL trade deadline, the Titans got perhaps their best glimpse yet at what the future could look like for Cam Ward, at least in a positive sense. He had his first 300-yard passing game, and he did it in the aftermath of the Jeffery Simmons trade. With no Carnell Tate, on top of it.
The Jaguars made three trades to upgrade their roster right now, while the Titans moved off of a player who had been thought of as nothing less than a franchise cornerstone. Not only that, but they traded another impact starter in the secondary with Amani Hooker off to the Bills. It's the type of self-awareness needed to set up a window down the line.
Titans' trade deadline strategy is all about creating a future window
It would have been one thing if the Titans entered the trade deadline with a .500 record or better. They are 1-7, competing for the #1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft at this point, and they need more darts to throw in future draft classes.
When you're trying to build and establish a team that can actually compete in the NFL, it's not always about taking as many shortcuts as you possibly can. Patience is a virtue often lost on team-builders in professional sports, mainly because patience is typically not afforded from the top down of franchises.
Everyone wants to win and be relevant as soon as possible. Everyone wants to sell tickets and jerseys. Everyone wants to compete year in and year out. But the Titans just aren't in the same place as the Jaguars.
The Jags' trades to acquire veteran safety Jessie Bates, defensive lineman Jordan Davis, and defensive lineman Davon Godchaux enhanced a roster that was already good enough to win 13 games last year, and they're already 6-2 so far this season.
They look like the class of the AFC South, and the Titans recognize that. Moving on from a player like Jeffery Simmons, or even safety Amani Hooker, doesn't sit well with anyone in the immediate aftermath. And the other harsh reality is that those draft picks the Titans got from the Bears and Bills? They're not guaranteed to work out.
But in order to build something that's going to eventually be able to take down the Jaguars, the Titans know they have to sacrifice the short-term comfort of having a stud like Simmons on the roster in order to get more top-tier talent down the line.
Titans future NFL Draft capital after the trade deadline
The Titans now have five picks in the first three rounds of the 2027 NFL Draft:
- 1st
- 1st (from Bears)
- 2nd
- 2nd (from Bills)
- 3rd
They also have four picks in the top three rounds of the 2028 NFL Draft:
- 1st
- 1st (from Bears)
- 2nd
- 3rd
Not to mention, they have an extra 4th-round pick from the Bears in 2027 from the Simmons trade.
While there's nothing inherently wrong with "going for it" either, the Jaguars got Jessie Bates on a possible half-season rental for a 2nd-round pick. They got Jordan Davis for a 1st-round pick in 2027 and 2nd-round pick in 2028, and Davis only typically plays 50-60 percent of the snaps.
They traded to get those guys to come in and make an impact right now, but the point is that they are currently in a window, while the Titans are on a separate timeline entirely. The Titans' decision to wait for "tomorrow" is a seed planted that simply won't bear fruit for a while. And that's okay, but they have assets to build around Cam Ward, keep stacking bricks on the foundation, and you never know how soon they'll be in the same spot as Jacksonville.
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