Despite offseason additions like Carnell Tate, skeptics fear a porous offensive line and coaching turnover will stifle Cam Ward’s growth during a high-stakes second season in Nashville.
It's no secret that the situation that Cam Ward walked into with the Tennessee Titans wasn't very promising.
He played behind one of the worst offensive lines in football in terms of sacks allowed. The Titans gave up 56 sacks last season, which was the sixth-most in the NFL.
Ward was throwing to Calvin Ridley, Van Jefferson, Tyler Lockett, Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor for most of his rookie season.
His head coach, Brian Callahan, was fired halfway through his rookie season, as the franchise went with Mike McCoy as the interim.
Still, he was able to put up a respectable 3,169 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Titans General Manager Mike Borgonzi realized that Ward needed help this offseason.
After releasing Lloyd Cushenberry and losing Kevin Zeitler to free agency, he added Austin Schlottmann and Cordell Volson to the offensive line. He gave Ward two more receivers, adding Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency and Carnell Tate in the 2026 NFL Draft.
It's safe to say that Ward has a lot more help than he did as a rookie, but some people still aren't convinced.
Fox Sports' Ralph Vacchiano ranked all 32 NFL teams based on the supporting cast around their starting quarterback. The Los Angeles Rams were at the top, and the Titans came in at No. 29.
NFL scouts are unsure if the Titans made enough additions to really move the needle for Ward.
"The Titans added some weapons for QB Cam Ward in the offseason, but that’s not really the problem," Vacchiano said. "'I wouldn’t put my quarterback behind that offensive line,' one scout told me. 'It was bad last season. And now it might be worse.' The signings of center Austin Schlottmann and guard Cordell Volson probably weren’t enough to fix a unit that gave up 55 sacks last season. But their other additions were better."
Vacchiano liked the moves for Tate and Robinson, but scouts don't know whether offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has enough to right the ship in Tennessee.
"Drafting Carnell Tate No. 4 overall gives them a potential No. 1 WR," Vacchiano said. "And even though WR Wan’Dale Robinson is 5-foot-8, he’s productive and fits perfectly in new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s scheme. Daboll can probably lean on his Giants years to figure out how to get the most out of his running backs (Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears) despite the line issues. 'Dabes has always had a brilliant offensive mind,' one scout told me. 'He’s a really underrated playcaller. He’ll get the most out of that group. I just don’t know if there’s much there.'"
It seems Ward and the Titans will have to prove people wrong in 2026. Although their skepticism is warranted after multiple 3-14 seasons, this team is much improved from 2025.
Outside of the help Ward has received this offseason, the Titans also upgraded the defense with John Franklin-Myers, Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott. Tennessee drafted promising defensive prospects like Keldric Faulk, Anthony Hill Jr., and Jackie Marshall.
Faulk can be moved along the defensive line, and Hill is a good fit for middle linebacker.
The odds are against the Titans, but improvements have been made across the board. It's up to the players to prove Borgonzi made the right decisions.
