Stuck in a tailspin since the late Vrabel era, Tennessee faces a historic crossroads. Another losing season would mark a disastrous first for the franchise’s modern era.
The Tennessee Titans have been hard to be a fan of ever since the Mike Vrabel era.
From 2016-2021, the Titans had winning seasons.
Towards the end of the Vrabel era, the Titans started slipping and never stopped.
In 2022, the Titans ended the season on a colossal losing streak. After going 7-3 in their first 10 games, the Titans lost their last seven games and fell out of the playoff race.
There wasn't as much hope in 2023.
The Titans went 2-4 with Ryan Tannehill as the starting quarterback, and Vrabel decided it was time to give rookie Will Levis a chance versus the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. Levis showed him enough to take over the starting job until Week 16.
While Levis showed flashes of greatness, the Titans still weren't winning football games. Tannehill came back for the final three games of the season, but the Titans still finished 6-11.
The Brian Callahan era was a train wreck as fans know.
It seemed like a good move at first. He had worked with Joe Burrow at the Cincinnati Bengals as offensive coordinator. Yet, he proved he wasn't ready to be a head coach. Whether that was on the situation the Titans put him in or other circumstances, it didn't work out for Callahan in Nashville.
The Titans have won six games in the last two years and are on the cusp of breaking an NFL trend, but not in a good way.
Since the Titans' inaugural season in 1999, the franchise has never had more than four losing seasons in a row.
The Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Minnesota Vikings have also never had four losing seasons in a row.
10 of the 12 teams featured have all made or won a Super Bowl during that time. If the Titans finish with a losing record again in 2026, the team will have finished with a losing record for the fifth straight year, marking the first time it's happened in franchise history.
If the Titans do have a winning record in 2026, they could keep the trend going that all those teams have had a part in.
We've seen just how fast franchises can turn around with an infusion of talent in the draft and free agency. Look at how fast the Patriots and Washington Commanders were able to go from four wins to a deep run in the playoffs.
The Titans can either make franchise history in a bad way or, like some of the previously listed teams, right the ship.
It'll be up to Mike Borgonzi and Robert Saleh for which result the Titans have in 2026.
