Tennessee Titans

With $53.5M in cap room (rank 2 of 32) and only $3.8M in dead money (rank 28 of 32), Tennessee has the financial freedom to attack its many roster holes right now, though next year's room tightens to $20.3M (rank 22 of 32).

31 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Six starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Seven picks all landing in the first round of the upcoming draft, plus three first-rounders projected over the next three years for a 21-pick three-year total, give Tennessee an extraordinary rebuild runway that softens an otherwise very difficult situation.

The roster's clearest strength is its defensive line, anchored by Jeffery Simmons at 95 overall, while the offensive line, particularly at left tackle and center, is the most glaring weakness from top to bottom.

• Chigh

  Austin Schlottmann starts at center but ranks 32nd among starters league-wide, making center the single most urgent upgrade on the roster.

• FShigh

  Kevin Winston Jr. holds the starting free safety spot but the position ranks 30th among starters, and the overall depth ranks 26th, leaving the back end dangerously thin.

• LThigh

  Dan Moore starts at left tackle but ranks 30th among starters, and with depth ranking 27th, protecting Cam Ward's blind side is an immediate priority.

• RGhigh

  Cordell Volson is the starter at right guard but the position ranks 27th among starters, continuing a theme of offensive line instability.

• TEhigh

  Gunnar Helm starts at tight end but the position ranks 31st among starters, giving Cam Ward almost no receiving threat at the position.

• MIKEmedium

  Cody Barton holds the starting MIKE role and the depth unit actually ranks 4th, so the position is less urgent than the offensive line and secondary holes.

• QBmedium

  Cam Ward is the clear starter at 75 overall with Star development, but the quarterback room ranks 25th among starters and his growth trajectory will define this rebuild.

• CBlow

  Cor'Dale Flott and Alontae Taylor form a serviceable starting pair, though the position ranks 22nd among starters and adding depth behind them would help.

• LEDGElow

  Keldric Faulk starts at left edge and the depth unit ranks 3rd overall, making this a quiet strength despite the starter ranking of 20th.

• REDGElow

  John Franklin-Myers holds the REDGE starter spot but ranks 22nd among starters, and with Jacob Martin backing up, this edge needs a long-term answer.

• SSlow

  Amani Hooker starts at strong safety and ranks 21st among starters, representing a manageable gap rather than a crisis.

• WRlow

  The wide receiver room starts Wan'Dale Robinson but ranks 21st among starters, and adding a true second threat behind Robinson would help Ward's development.

• 65Mitchell TrubiskyQBMitchell Trubisky is the third-string quarterback behind Cam Ward and Will Levis, contributes nothing to the rebuild at 65 overall, and releasing him frees $1.4M against $2.8M in dead money.Frees $1.4M · $2.8M dead
• 63Zach ThomasRGZach Thomas is the third-string right guard at 63 overall and releasing him frees $1.1M with zero dead money, clearing a spot for younger developmental linemen.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 63Mason KinseyWRMason Kinsey sits outside the top receiving options at 63 overall and releasing him frees $1.1M with no dead money, a clean cut with no cap penalty.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 77Jermaine Johnson IIREDGEJermaine Johnson II appears primarily as a backup edge rusher, and at 77 overall his release frees $13.4M with no dead money, making him the most impactful cap cut on the roster.Frees $13.4M · $0 dead
• 64Hendon HookerQBHendon Hooker is the third quarterback at 64 overall and his release frees $1.1M with zero dead money, freeing a roster spot for a position of greater need.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead

The Titans are a roster in transition, built around a foundation of Jeffery Simmons's elite interior presence and a handful of young Star-trait pieces, headlined by Cam Ward at quarterback, whose development arc will determine everything that follows. The offensive line is the most pressing structural problem, with below-average starters at left tackle, center, and right guard threatening to stall Ward's progress before it begins. Tony Pollard gives the backfield a capable lead runner now, but he is entering the late stage of his career, and Tyjae Spears will need to grow into a larger role. Calvin Ridley is deep in the twilight of his career and cannot be counted on as a long-term receiving solution. The defensive side is more encouraging: Simmons is a pillar, Keldric Faulk at 21 years old with Star development is a potential cornerstone edge rusher, and Cedric Gray and Anthony Hill Jr. give the linebacker corps a young developmental backbone. The secondary has Cor'Dale Flott as a real piece at corner, but free safety is a genuine liability. With $53.5M in cap room (rank 2 of 32) and seven picks, all in the first round of the upcoming draft, Tennessee has the resources to address multiple holes simultaneously, making disciplined roster-building in the first two seasons the most critical task in the franchise.

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.