The Tennessee Titans are currently postseason long-shots at 0-3. Head coach Brian Callahan is attempting to avoid an 0-4 start when his struggling squad faces the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. A defeat to the Dolphins would force the franchise to do some soul-searching. It would force the Titans to ponder changes heading into the bye week.
In this hypothetical, it matters how the Titans lose the game, so some of these things may be off the table depending on Monday's outcome. However, just losing itself is enough to put them in a position to consider a few changes.
The first person on everyone's mind is struggling sophomore quarterback Will Levis, and he would be the first person put under the microscope. If Levis makes another boneheaded decision and the Titans lose, Callahan could consider making a change at QB, with veteran backup Mason Rudolph waiting in the wings.
The Titans should stick with Levis, but there's no telling where Callahan's mind truly is. Rudolph isn't the long-term answer, and the Titans should use the entire 2024 campaign to evaluate their young QB. The 2025 NFL Draft also lacks truly elite quarterback prospects, so quitting on Levis prematurely would be a mistake. But Callahan would be right to think Levis is hurting the team, which may be enough to consider a benching.
Yep. This was the case over the summer and remains so a month into the season.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 30, 2024
It's a talented draft class, just doesn't look as top-heavy as other years. The absence of a lock top-10 pick at QB contributes to that. https://t.co/3GLlpCmowY
Speaking of looking towards the future, another loss could put the Titans in a situation where young players start earning more play-time.
For example, Arden Key has been getting more snaps than rookie Jaylen Harrell at outside linebacker, but that could change. Key has been struggling and the Titans would be wise to learn more about Harrell's long-term outlook.
The same thing could happen with guys like Tyjae Spears, James Williams, and Jha'Quan Jackson, who perhaps could start to see more snaps than Tony Pollard, Jack Gibbens, and Tyler Boyd respectively, though Pollard was signed as a long-term building block.
If the playoffs are a pipe dream, then Callahan would be smart to shift the focus toward having the best possible team in 2025. That means getting the young guys out there, but it could also mean floating some names out there as potential trade pieces.
DeAndre Hopkins is someone that teams will go after, but smaller price tags for guys like Tyler Boyd, Nick Folk, Treylon Burks, or Chig Okonkwo could make sense given the injuries and poor play of those positions around the league.
A win on Monday Night Football keeps the Titans in it and puts those decisions off for a few weeks, but a loss means everything is on the table.
The Titans could look much different after the bye, depending on Monday's result.