Titans Secure No. 1 Pick In 2025 NFL Draft
The early window of NFL action on Sunday decided the order at the top of the draft board for 2025. Week 18’s results have left the Titans in place to select first overall. 
Tennessee lost in Houston, leaving the team with a 3-14 record. That mark was matched by the Browns with their loss yesterday as well as the Giants since they lost on Sunday afternoon as well. New York was in the lead for the top spot heading into last week’s action, but a win over the Colts moved the Patriots into pole position entering the final week of the campaign.
Relying mainly on rookie quarterback Joe Milton III, New England won out against a Bills team which rested Josh Allen amongst others since they were locked into the AFC’s No. 2 seed. With that win, the Patriots dropped from first to fourth in the projected order (pending other results from Sunday’s games). As a result, it will be the Titans kicking off the draft in April.
Tennessee made a number of changes this offseason, the most notable of which being the decision to hire Brian Callahan as a first-time head coach. The former Bengals offensive coordinator was tasked with guiding quarterback Will Levis into a long-term solution at the position. Selected 33rd overall in 2023, Levis entered this season as the team’s undisputed starter, but injuries and poor play (especially regarding turnovers) resulted in Mason Rudolph briefly seeing time atop the depth chart. Levis still considers himself a starter with the Titans or another team, but his future is in the air at this point.
Two more year remain on the 25-year-old’s rookie pact, but even if Tennessee elects to keep him in place competition should be expected. That is especially true since Rudolph is on an expiring deal. Free agency will offer plenty of options for a quarterback addition, but holding the No. 1 selection will obviously give the Titans the opportunity to again take the draft route to find a franchise passer. Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are the highest-ranked QBs in a 2025 class which is not held in high regard.
Well before a decision on the top pick is made, of course, the futures of Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon will need to be sorted out. The latter’s job security could be in question after two years at the helm, but if he is retained by owner Amy Adams Strunk the way he proceeds with the No. 1 pick will be critical. Using it on a quarterback (or another prospect like two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter) would add to the team’s core, but as usual the number of teams looking for a franchise passer will outweigh the availability of qualified QBs. As such, trading down could become feasible based on the trade market which emerges.
A rebound from this season’s showing will be expected for Tennessee in 2025. Today’s outcomes will prove to play a large role in that effort, though, given the team’s prime draft position.
Titans GM Ran Carthon In Danger Of Being Fired; Latest On HC Brian Callahan
As Week 18 of the NFL season continues, several teams near the bottom of the standings are still in contention to land the top pick in the upcoming draft. The Titans are among them, but securing the No. 1 selection could include notable changes in the organization. 
Much of the season was predicated on first-time head coach Brian Callahan‘s ability to lead a rebound on offense for Tennessee. In particular, his work in developing quarterback Will Levis was a central point of focus, but things have not gone according to plan on that front.
[RELATED: Titans Secure 2025 No. 1 Overall Pick]
It remains to be seen if a new potential franchise quarterback will be targeted in the offseason as a result, but general manager Ran Carthon may not be charged with overseeing that effort. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes there is “growing chatter” about Carthon being fired after this season. Bovada’s Josina Anderson adds this situation is being monitored by many around the league regarding a potential firing.
Jon Robinson was fired near the end of the 2022 campaign, his seventh at the helm of the Titans. The team sat at 7-5 on the year at that point, and the timing therefore came as a surprise to many. Then-head coach Mike Vrabel was not included in the decision, one which allowed him carry on his role for another season. Amidst indications Carthon and Vrabel were not on the same page, though, the latter was dismissed after the 2023 campaign came to a close.
Callahan was hired to take over coaching duties while working with Carthon to oversee Tennessee’s transition to a younger roster. Several veterans on both sides of the ball saw their Titans tenures end in cost-shedding moves in recent years, leaving the new regime with a long-term rebuilding project. Still, Tennessee’s record entering Sunday’s action (9-24) under Carthon leaves plenty to be desired. Attention will thus turn to owner Amy Adams Strunk over the coming days.
Meanwhile, Callahan’s future will of course remain uncertain until he receives a vote of confidence from ownership. The former Bengals offensive coordinator was the subject of a recent report indicating he should be safe, though, and further signs point in that direction. ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted on this morning’s NFL Countdown Callahan should remain in place for 2025, although that is not certain at this point (video link). Schefter cautions, however, that some in the Titans’ organization are expecting significant changes of some kind in the wake of a disappointing year.
Whether or not that includes moves in the front office or along the sidelines will be interesting to monitor in the immediate future. A number of major roster-building decisions loom this spring for the Titans, but before that the team’s coaching and management staff could see replacements brought in.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/25
The last minor moves and standard gameday elevations of the 2024 NFL regular season:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: S Andre Chachere
- Elevated: RB Tony Jones Jr., T Luke Tenuta
- Placed on IR: T Jackson Barton
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: CB Lamar Jackson
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: OL Will Clapp, DE Casey Toohill
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from IR: RB Miles Sanders (story)
- Placed on IR: LB Amaré Barno
- Signed to active roster: DE DeShawn Williams
- Elevated: OLB Thomas Incoom, OLB Kenny Dyson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: DT Domenique Davis, WR Kendric Pryor
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: QB Will Grier
- Elevated: CB Troy Pride
- Placed on IR: CB Kemon Hall
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: DE Matt Henningsen
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: DB Morice Norris
- Elevated: DL Chris Smith, CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: CB D’Angelo Ross
- Elevated: DE Solomon Byrd, S Russ Yeast
- Placed on IR: LB Jamal Hill
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: DE Joe Gaziano
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: LB Blake Lynch, QB Chris Oladokun
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: TE John Samuel Shenker
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: S Alohi Gilman (story)
- Elevated: WR Dez Fitzpatrick, S Eddie Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: T AJ Arcuri, OLB Keir Thomas
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: T Ryan Hayes, QB Skylar Thompson
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: LB Calvin Munson, OLB Gabriel Murphy
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: CB Miles Battle, DE Truman Jones, LB Monty Rice, TE Jack Westover
- Elevated: WR Alex Erickson, TE Mitchell Wilcox
- Placed on IR: C Ben Brown, S Jabrill Peppers, WR Ja’Lynn Polk
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: S Millard Bradford, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: RB Dante Miller
- Elevated: OLB Boogie Basham, T Tyre Phillips
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: CB Sauce Gardner
- Signed to active roster: DL Bruce Hector
- Elevated: CB Tre Swilling, OL Zack Bailey
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: DE Alex Barrett, LB DaShaun White
- Elevations: G Drake Nugent, WR Trent Taylor
- Placed on IR: G Spencer Burford, LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: CB Artie Burns, NT Brandon Pili
- Elevated: DT Quinton Bohanna, TE Tyler Mabry
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: CB Dallis Flowers, LB Deion Jones
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: DE Khalid Duke, WR Tay Martin
- Elevated: S Gervarrius Owens, K Matthew Wright
- Placed on IR: LB Otis Reese
Ross’ new deal to the Texans’ 53-man roster is good through the 2025 season, as well. Ditto for Jones, signed to the active roster in New England today.
Sanders returned to practice this week, and his activation will allow him to close out his second Panthers season on the field rather than on the mend. His Carolina tenure has fallen well short of expectations and a release in the near future could be in the cards. Given the team’s backfield injuries, though, Sanders could handle a notable workload tomorrow while potentially auditioning for free agent suitors.
Gilman’s return will be welcomed by the Chargers’ defense. The 27-year-old has remained a full-time starter this season, his second straight handling first-team duties. Los Angeles is assured of a wild-card spot, but moving up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture could be possible on Sunday. In any case, Gilman’s presence will be key for a Bolts defense which leads the league in points allowed per game (17.6).
Gardner’s campaign will come to an end after 15 games played. He fell short of a Pro Bowl nod for this first time in his young career, but the fourth pick of the 2022 draft remained a critical member of the team’s secondary when healthy. Gardner is eligible for an extension this offseason, and his financial future (which will include a fifth-year option decision in the spring) will be a key point of focus once New York’s head coach/general manager tandem is in place.
Front Office Notes: Jets, Colts, Grier, Bears
Given a mulligan for the Jets‘ Aaron Rodgers-less 2023 season, Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas did not make it too far into the 2024 campaign. The latter did not have a good working relationship during his final year in charge, seeing Woody Johnson (and, apparently, his sons) influence Jets personnel moves. Johnson had largely stripped power from Douglas during the GM’s final months in New York. As it turns out, Douglas’ frustration with Johnson predates 2024. The five-plus-year Jets GM had expressed dismay at one of Woody Johnson’s sons, Brick, scouring the internet and seeing those opinions (through Woody Johnson) make it back to Douglas, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes.
This situation may or may not have influenced Douglas to decline a Jets extension proposed more than a year ago. While Pauline stops short of confirming that, the veteran draft-based reporter indicates many informed him that was the case. Douglas “did not like or respect” Woody Johnson for years during his Jets run, Pauline adds. As the Jets have begun their GM and HC searches, they may have considerable explaining to do about the owner and his family’s influence on the team.
Entering Week 18, here is the latest from around the NFL’s front offices:
- The Dolphins gave Mike McDaniel an extension this past summer, and no rumors have pointed to the young HC needing to be too concerned about his job security. Rumblings are emerging, however, pertaining to the status of GM Chris Grier. In his sixth season with full autonomy in Miami, Grier is in his ninth season as GM. Miami is a place to monitor regarding a potential GM change, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Grier essentially won a power struggle with Brian Flores three years ago and has overseen back-to-back playoff appearances since, which would make it rather surprising if ownership made a change this coming offseason.
- Chris Ballard was believed to be on solid ground going into Week 17, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. That aligns with a Thursday report that pointed to Ballard being more likely than not to be retained. Though, the Colts losing to a two-win Giants team — in a game that reminded of the 2021 team’s undoing in a win-and-in opportunity in Jacksonville as two-touchdown favorites — did not exactly provide assurance the team is headed in a good direction. With Ballard set to be just 2-for-8 in playoff berths as Indianapolis honcho, this situation will also be one to monitor over the next few days.
- Tennessee’s post-Mike Vrabel season has gone quite poorly, with Ran Carthon‘s Titans operation sitting 3-13. But no major changes are expected this year. Brian Callahan is on track to stay for a second season as HC, and Fowler indicates a good energy — the 13 losses notwithstanding — is present around an organization run by Carthon, Callahan and VP of football operations Chad Brinker. Next season, then, figures to be Carthon’s regime can be truly evaluated. A clash with ownership drove Vrabel out of Nashville, and an improvement will almost definitely be required for Callahan in 2025. What remains to be seen is how much improvement will be necessary for Carthon.
- The Bears have used search firms in the past to help determine their coaching hires, but it appears the team will leave this year’s search to its front office. No consultant is on track to come in and shepherd Chicago’s HC search, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. The team did take that route in 2015 and 2022, respectively bringing in John Fox and Matt Eberflus. GM Ryan Poles was not in place when the Eberflus search started, signing on late in that process. With considerable input from president Kevin Warren on tap, Poles will lead this year’s Bears search.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/1/25
Here are the latest practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Jack Anderson, CB Luq Barcoo
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: OL Garret Greenfield
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: K Matthew Wright
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OT Max Pircher
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/31/24
New Year’s Eve practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Hassan Hall
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Cameron Latu, RB Aidan Robbins
- Released: K Andre Szmyt
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Jaxon Janke
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DE Joe Gaziano
New York Jets
- Signed: T David Sharpe
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Tariq Castro-Fields, S Mekhi Garner, DE Charles Harris
- Released: DE Tarron Jackson, RB Lew Nichols
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: G Zack Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Michael Dowell, CB Tyler Hall
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Earnest Brown IV, LB Antonio Grier
- Placed on practice squad injured list: OLB Daniel Grzesiak
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/30/24
Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed off waivers (from Buccaneers): LB Vi Jones
- Placed on IR: S Joey Blount
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated to return from IR: TE Charlie Kolar
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
- Elevated: RB Jermar Jefferson, DE Chris Smith
New York Jets
- Claimed off waivers (from Vikings): LB Jamin Davis
- Waived: K Anders Carlson
- Placed on IR: S Chuck Clark
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: LB Tatum Bethune
- Claimed off waivers (from Titans): CB Tre Avery
- Elevated: DE Alex Barrett, G Drake Nugent
- Placed on IR: G Aaron Banks
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: K Matthew Wright
By claiming Jones, the Cardinals reunite him with his brother, wide receiver Zay Jones, for the final week of the regular season.
The Ravens are looking to return their third tight end to the fold after Kolar broke his arm a month ago. When ready, he’ll be back to close out the regular season and prepare for the playoffs behind Baltimore’s other two strong tight ends.
The Jets will be finishing the season without their starting safety in Clark. Clark, who battled back from injury earlier this season, was placed on injured reserve for an undisclosed reason today.
Titans To Play Mason Rudolph, Will Levis In Week 18
Will Levis entered 2024 as the Titans’ starting quarterback, retaining that title after returning from an AC joint sprain earlier in the year. He has been surpassed on the depth chart by Mason Rudolph, but both signal-callers will receive the opportunity to play in the season finale. 
“I’ll let those guys both have a chance to play, some opportunities,” head coach Brian Callahan said on Monday (via the team’s website). “I’ll let you know by the end of the week, [who’s] the starter and all of that. But I think both guys should play some football at the end of the year.”
Levis took over as Tennessee’s starter midway through last year, and his development for 2024 was a key organizational priority. Callahan’s hire (making him a first-time head coach) was aimed at guiding the 25-year-old, but he has not produced the desired results this season. The Titans sit at 3-13 on the year, making them one of four teams sporting that record entering Week 18. As things stand, Tennessee holds the No. 2 pick in the draft.
A loss against the Texans would therefore be highly beneficial to the team’s 2025 outlook, but Levis seeing time would be notable given his uncertain future. Last year’s 33rd overall pick has two years remaining on his rookie contract, but considering his struggles this season it would come as no surprise if the Titans were to add competition under center during the offseason. Rudolph is a pending free agent, and the longtime Steeler could again be on the move depending on how his market takes shape.
If the Patriots wind up securing and retaining the No. 1 pick, the door would be open for the holder of the second selection to have their choice of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 class. Depending on how the final slate of games shakes out, Tennessee could therefore be within range of at least one of Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, and selecting either would constitute a move in a new direction at the quarterback spot. Levis will get one more look before a decision on that front will be made, though.
Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order
Plenty of changes took place regarding the projected draft order on Sunday. Most notably, the Giants’ first home win of the year took them out of the top spot and greatly lowered their chances of securing the No. 1 pick.
Instead, the Patriots are now in pole position to select first in April. New England already has Drake Maye in place, so adding another Day 1 passer would be out of the picture. With Travis Hunter being seen as the top overall prospect in the class, the Heisman winner could be a suitable target as a key figure in New England’s rebuilding process.
Meanwhile, a number of teams which could be in the market for a first-round passer are near the top of the order. That includes the Browns and Raiders, teams which each face uncertainty under center for 2025 despite already having a number of quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Bringing in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would provide another short-term option for next year along with a potential long-term answer at the position. Plenty could still change in the order over Week 18, though, and the evaluation process of both of the top signal-callers in the class obviously has a long way to go.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:
- New England Patriots (3-13)
- Tennessee Titans (3-13)
- Cleveland Browns (3-13)
- New York Giants (3-13)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
- Carolina Panthers (4-12)
- New York Jets (4-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
- Chicago Bears (4-12)
- New Orleans Saints (5-11)
- San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
- Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
- Miami Dolphins (8-8)
- Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
- Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
- Houston Texans (9-7)
- Denver Broncos (9-7)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
- Green Bay Packers (11-5)
- Washington Commanders (11-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
- Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
- Buffalo Bills (13-3)
- Detroit Lions (13-2)
- Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
- Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
Patriots Move Into Top 2025 Draft Slot
With surprising wins today by the Giants and Raiders, the top of the draft order was shaken up once more. The Raiders, now on a two-game winning streak, have plummeted from a top-two pick to No. 8 overall, and a win by the Giants knocked the Colts out of playoff contention and knocked New York down three draft slots to No. 4 overall. Here’s a quick look at some other consequences of today’s games. 
Today’s wins and losses have now placed New England in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall spot. If the Patriots lose in their season finale to the Bills, they will secure the rights to the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. This opens up a number of possibilities for New England. The Patriots have holes on the offensive line, receiving corps, pass rush, and cornerbacks group.
For some time, the top picks have been projected to be Miami quarterback Cam Ward or Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, but with no need to draft a quarterback with a top pick for the second year in a row, the Patriots are poised to shake things up. With no elite options at offensive line in this year’s draft class, they could go for Heisman-winning athlete Travis Hunter from Colorado, who could fill holes at both cornerback and receiver. Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan is another top receiver option who projects as a stronger receiving prospect than Hunter. They could also go for Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, though that would seem like a bit of a reach in the top spot.
The other option available to New England opens the door for any of the quarterback-needy teams to trade up into the No. 1 overall pick. The Titans (No. 2), Browns (No. 3), and Giants all have interest in adding a top quarterback to the roster. One of these teams may pursue that quarterback through free agency with Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, and Kirk Cousins all currently on their way to free agency. If not, they can take a chance and hope to land Ward or Sanders in their current slots.
They may also want to keep an eye on teams like the Panthers (No. 6), Jets (No. 7), and Raiders, though, as all of those teams may have interest in trading into the top draft slot. All three of those teams have quarterback situations that could greatly benefit from the addition of Ward or Sanders, and the Patriots could likely still fill a major need — even offensive line — after moving back later in the top-10 picks. It would also make selections like Carter or Michigan cornerback Will Johnson seem like less of a reach.
There are way too many possibilities to speculate on from this situation at this point in time, but New England’s prospective hold on the No. 1 overall pick introduces a litany of fun potential outcomes. They will need to close it out with a home defeat at the hands of the Bills next week, but the chaos from today’s games has provided plenty for draft nerds to drool over in the days to come.