There is a misconception that NFL teams actually tank at the end of seasons to secure better draft picks. Outside of extreme situations, the sad reality is that the team that ends up with the top selection "earned" that pick by just being terrible.
The Tennessee Titans aren't tanking. Fans shouldn't expect them to tank, but losing games to improve their draft position would absolutely be more beneficial to the franchise than winning meaningless games at the end of the season.
There is a weird narrative going around that teams need to "learn how to win games" at the end of the season. There's a misconception that indicates doing that will help them win games in the future. Sure, that word salad sounds like it means something, but evidence indicates it doesn't.
Draft position means more than winning meaningless games for the Tennessee Titans
Look back at the Titans' win against the Arizona Cardinals earlier this season. What exactly did this franchise learn from that win? If that isn't a good enough example, what did the Titans learn when Will Levis beat the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football two years ago?
Who is actually learning these lessons for the 2025 Titans? In three weeks, this entire coaching staff will be fired (hopefully excluding Bones Fassel), and the new coaching staff won't benefit from them. As for the players on the roster, is winning one or two games in December going to unlock the code to success for Ward, Chimere Dike, Gunnar Helm, and others? Almost certainly not.
You know what meaningles wins are guaranteed to do? Hurt the Titans' draft capital. Remember that win against the Dolphins? Had the Titans lost that game, they'd have All-Pro offensive tackle Joe Alt on their roster next to future Pro-Bowl guard Peter Skoronski instead of trying to find a spot for J.C. Latham where he can look like an above-average NFL starter.
This season, the Titans have a chance to replicate the Jon Robinson trade down 10 years ago that turned this franchise from a middle-of-the-road team with no star power to a roster with Derrick Henry, Jack Conklin, and Kevin Byard. That trade-down created the foundation of a team that enjoyed success for half a decade.
If you want the Titans to win because you love this team and are tired of seeing them lose, that is your right as a fan. However, the next time you hear someone talk about how important it is to "learn how to win," send them this article and ask them whether they want more players like Alt, Henry, Conklin, and Byard or if they want more players like Latham.