The Tennessee Titans have had more time to prep for the 2026 head coaching cycle than any other team, as they fired Brian Callahan five games into the 2025 season. Mike Borgonzi needs to find someone who can get the most out of young quarterback Cam Ward.
With the AFC South suddenly emerging as one of the best divisions in football and the Titans having to fight and claw their way to even win three games this season, anyone expecting some sort of quick fix is going to be disappointed. That being said, this is an appealing job.
Ward is the main attraction, but the Titans are in a situation where whoever comes to Tennessee is going to get the chance to allocate a ton of resources to fixing the roster. That didn't stop some NFL insiders from painting this job as a complete drain due to some of the problems of yesteryear.
NFL.com lists Titans as second-worst head coaching vacancy in 2026
NFL.com's Judy Battista listed the Titans as the second-worst opening in the NFL, ahead of only the Raiders. Battista cites impatient ownership who keep turning over some big names and the massive roster overhaul that must take place as negatives dragging this job down.
The Titans are projected to be in the top three in the league in terms of cap space, which can help them plug their holes at wide receiver, interior offensive line, and edge rusher before they even get to the 2026 NFL Draft. This new coach can wipe Callahan's slate completely clean.
So many coaches are doomed to failure because they never got quality quarterback play, especially from young players on rookie deals. Tennessee has Ward, who is looking more like a long-term answer with each passing day. Isn't that better than starting from zero under center?
If Ward continues to get better in Year 2, whomever comes to Tennessee will have the hardest part of roster building already checked off. When paired with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which could be used to select an elite pass rusher or pass catcher, the Titans may not be down for very long.
Winning six games in two years takes some of the spark out of this franchise, but with Ward around to make up for it, the Titans will likely be willing to choose between one of a few very qualified candidates.