Tennessee Titans

Tennessee carries the second-most cap room in the league at $53.5M this season, but committed spending spikes to $314.3M next year, so the window to spend aggressively is right now.

31 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Five starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

This roster's clear top strength is its defense, headlined by a 95-overall Superstar in Simmons, while the offensive line, particularly at center and left tackle, is the most glaring weak spot.

• LShigh
• Cmedium

  Austin Schlottmann holds the starting center spot but is entering the later stretch of his career, and neither Andre James nor Pat Coogan offers a commanding fallback.

• LTmedium

  Dan Moore is the starter at 73 overall, and the only developmental depth behind him is Austin Deculus, who is a cut candidate, making left tackle a real priority.

• RGlow

  Cordell Volson holds the starting job but rates only 72 overall, and the depth behind him is unproven, making a quality upgrade worth pursuing.

• TElow

  Gunnar Helm is the starter at 71 overall, and the rest of the tight end room is thin and unproven, leaving a clear opportunity for a higher-impact contributor.

• FSlow

  Kevin Winston Jr. starts at just 73 overall with Jerrick Reed II and Kendell Brooks behind him, making free safety a legitimate area to strengthen.

• QBlow

  Cam Ward is the starter with Star dev trait upside, but the supporting depth of Will Levis and Mitchell Trubisky is uninspiring, leaving the position thin beyond Ward.

• Spread No-HuddleoffensivePassable

  Cam Ward's Star dev trait and Robinson's quickness as the slot-capable WR1 give this uptempo scheme a credible floor, even if the supporting cast is still developing.

• [EA] 3-4 StormdefensivePassable

  Jeffery Simmons dominates as the 95-overall interior anchor, and young edge rushers Keldric Faulk and Oluwafemi Oladejo provide the outside speed this scheme demands.

• 65Mitchell TrubiskyQBTrubisky is third on the QB depth chart at 65 overall, and releasing him frees $1.4M while leaving only $2.8M in dead money, making him an easy redundancy to clear.Frees $1.4M · $2.8M dead
• 63Zach ThomasRGZach Thomas sits third on the LG chart and carries no dead money, so releasing him and his $1.1M cap hit is a clean way to trim the bottom of the offensive line.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 63Mason KinseyWRMason Kinsey does not appear on the primary receiver depth chart and is replaceable, making his $1.1M cap hit with zero dead money a straightforward cut.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 77Jermaine Johnson IIREDGEJermaine Johnson II is listed behind Keldric Faulk at LEDGE and serves as a rotational backup, and releasing him frees a significant $13.4M with zero dead money, making him the most impactful cut on the roster.Frees $13.4M · $0 dead
• 64Hendon HookerQBHendon Hooker is the third quarterback and rates just 64 overall, and his $1.1M release with no dead money makes him a low-risk roster cleanup.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead

The Titans enter franchise mode with a clear identity on defense, led by Jeffery Simmons and a promising edge group headlined by young Star trait rusher Keldric Faulk. Offensively, Cam Ward is the foundational piece at quarterback, and pairing him with Wan'Dale Robinson, Carnell Tate, and Peter Skoronski gives the coaching staff legitimate young building blocks. Tony Pollard is a productive back now but is entering the later stage of his career, so developing Tyjae Spears behind him is an immediate priority. Calvin Ridley rounds out the receiver corps but is nearing the end of his productive window, meaning Tate and Elic Ayomanor must step up sooner rather than later. With $53.5M in cap room ranked second in the league this season, Tennessee has the financial firepower to address its weaknesses at center, left tackle, and tight end aggressively, though committed spending rises sharply to $314.3M next season, so that window is tighter than it appears.

The franchise was founded in 1959-60 by oilman K.S. "Bud" Adams as the Houston Oilers, one of eight charter members of the upstart American Football League (AFL), beginning play in 1960 at Houston's Jeppesen Stadium. Behind quarterback George Blanda and Heisman winner Billy Cannon, the Oilers were the AFL's first dynasty, winning the league's first two championships in 1960 and 1961 and reaching a third straight title game in 1962. After the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, Houston endured lean years before the beloved "Luv Ya Blue" era of the late 1970s, powered by Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell and coach Bum Phillips, reaching consecutive AFC Championship Games (1978, 1979). The Warren Moon era (1984-1993) produced a high-flying run-and-shoot offense and seven straight playoff berths (1987-1993) but no conference title, and included the infamous 1993 playoff collapse, when the Oilers blew a 35-3 lead to Buffalo. Amid stadium disputes, Adams relocated the team to Tennessee in 1997, playing as the Tennessee Oilers in Memphis (1997) and at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville (1998) before renaming to the Tennessee Titans in 1999. The 1999 Titans, led by QB Steve McNair, RB Eddie George, and coach Jeff Fisher, went 13-3 and made a magical playoff run featuring the "Music City Miracle," reaching Super Bowl XXXIV, where they fell 23-16 to the St. Louis Rams, stopped one yard short on the final play ("The Tackle"). The Titans have since had strong stretches, including six straight winning seasons 2016-2021 under Mike Vrabel with Derrick Henry, but slid into a rebuild in the mid-2020s, bottoming out with consecutive 3-14 finishes in 2024 and 2025.