Robert Saleh is prioritizing joint practices as a key part of the Titans’ 2026 preparation, signaling a more competitive and demanding approach to training camp in his first year at the helm.
From the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix, Arizona, Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh shared his team’s plans for joint practices in 2026.
While the preseason schedule has not yet been announced, Saleh is a firm believer in the value of joint practices and what they can provide as teams ramp up for the regular season. He plans to have the Titans participate in them as often as possible, with two of those sessions expected to take place at home and one on the road—aligning with the Titans’ two preseason home games and one road game in 2026.
One of the teams on that list is the Carolina Panthers, with whom the Titans have already requested joint practices this August. That session would be hosted in Tennessee, with another home opponent potentially joining the mix, along with one road trip.
I tend to agree with Saleh’s line of thinking here. Joint practices are one of the best tune-ups a team can get before the regular season begins.
They offer a real opportunity to measure yourself against outside competition. So often during training camp, I find myself evaluating the Titans’ offense or defense, only to realize how little it all means when they’re going against their own teammates.
Does the offense actually look sharp, or are they just facing a struggling secondary? Those are the kinds of questions that come up in a standard camp setting.
Joint practices provide much clearer answers. They give players a chance to hit someone else, to compete alongside their teammates rather than against them. And when those practices take place on the road, they also simulate the realities of traveling—adjusting to a different environment, dealing with discomfort, and preparing to perform without the routine of home.
There’s real value in that, and Saleh clearly sees it the same way.
We’ll have a better idea of which teams will be joining the Titans once the preseason schedule is released. But this much is already clear about the Robert Saleh era in Tennessee: this team isn’t going to be babied. They’re going to be pushed, tested, and prepared with a level of toughness that ideally carries over into games that actually count.
That doesn't come as a huge surprise for a defensive head coach with Saleh's background, but it should at the very least be an encouraging start to his tenure for Titans fans hoping to see a team on the field in Nashville that is more disciplined and prepared every Sunday.