Jan 22, 2022. The Tennessee Titans would go on to lose to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional Series after securing the No. 1 seed in the postseason. The disappointing result left fans sad but hopeful for the team’s future. Little did they know everything would fall apart.
A.J. Brown would be traded months later, jump-starting the Titans’ decline to where they are now.
On Thursday, Oct. 29, the Titans would trade their last cornerstone piece, Jeffery Simmons, to the Chicago Bears, completing the hard-and-fast decline to rock bottom.
This is the biggest defensive tackle trade in NFL history, including two first-round picks spanning the 2027 and 2028 NFL drafts. While the picks are nice, what remains after this trade is a soulless franchise.
The Titans didn’t lose arguably the best defensive linemen in football; they lost the edge and energy that were brought to the locker room.
A team now in rebuild mode must embrace the challenges ahead.
Where Do the Titans Go From Here?
The Titans have fully embraced rebuilding the franchise from the bottom up. This means they need to fire-sale anyone of value currently on the team. Expect Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, Jermaine Johnson, and possibly Armani Hooker to be dealt to contending teams at the deadline.
The Titans need to be as flexible as possible in the NFL draft to keep moving youth through the team. Moving these guys helps you move up in rounds in the NFL draft, which is where the Titans will have to become a factor.
The biggest question the Titans have over the rest of the season is whether Cam Ward is the franchise’s long-term answer. Trading Simmons naturally raises alarm bells about how the front office feels about Ward going forward, but he has the chance to silence people.
The best-case scenario for the Titans is that Ward shows signs they need to believe in him and give him next season to put it all together. This decision alone will dictate how the Titans control the draft going forward.
Controlling the NFL Draft Moving Forward
That opens several options for the Titans given the hoard of draft picks they have in the next few years.
When evaluating missing pieces on the roster, two things stand out. The need for an edge rusher was there even with Simmons, but now the Titans need an impact player at the position.
In the secondary, the need for another outside corner will be a talking point. Adding another outside corner would let Saleh move free agent signing Alontae Taylor into his more natural nickel role.
Addressing one of these issues in the first round this season could be considered mandatory for the Titans.
For now, a young, struggling team must find a way to rally for the rest of the season. They need answers before the season ends, but as of now, the rebuild begins.
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