Titans Expect Will Levis To Be On 2026 Roster; Latest On Chig Okonkwo, Arden Key
Will Levis spent this season on IR, being shifted to the injured list after suffering a shoulder injury in July. Prior to that, the 2023 second-round pick loomed as a player chosen under a previous GM that brought a curious fit behind No. 1 overall draftee Cam Ward.
A report last month indicated Levis would likely be traded this offseason, but second-year GM Mike Borgonzi voiced an expectation Tuesday (via TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick) that the struggling quarterback would have a role on the 2026 Titans. One year remains on Levis’ rookie contract.
Ran Carthon selected Levis during the first of his two drafts. While current football ops president Chad Brinker was with the Titans when they made that pick, Borgonzi — who arrived in 2025 — is now controlling the 53-man roster. Levis’ injury last year gave Brandon Allen a smooth ride to the QB2 role; Levis’ first two seasons were anything but smooth.
After showing some promise as a rookie, the Kentucky product did not take a step forward in 2024. Brian Callahan expressed frustration with the erratic passer and benched him at points, giving then-backup Mason Rudolph chances. Levis finished last in QBR by a wide margin in 2024, throwing 13 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and averaging 6.9 yards per attempt.
While Levis did improve on his completion percentage from his rookie year (upping it to 63.1), the Titans effectively moved on after landing the No. 1 pick in a draft that saw teams only pine for one quarterback. Ward was drafted 24 spots before any other QB last year, and he is now the Titans’ centerpiece player.
After trade rumors followed Levis leading up to the draft, he did split first-team reps with Ward during the Titans’ offseason program. The older passer would not have been a realistic challenger for the job in training camp, though it is worth wondering if he would have received more first-team work had the injury not occurred. Allen is not signed for 2026, keeping the backup job open. The Texans have used ex-starter Davis Mills as their backup for a highly drafted QB (C.J. Stroud); the Tennessee rival extended Mills last year. Levis could conceivably settle into a Mills role, though he will need to prove he can stay healthy and assimilate into the to-be-determined HC/OC’s system.
One of Levis’ former targets, Chig Okonkwo was drafted two GMs ago. Chosen in Jon Robinson‘s final draft, the Titans’ tight end starter is unsigned for 2026. Despite the team’s struggles during his rookie contract, Okonkwo said he wants to re-sign.
“I definitely want to be a part of the core and watch this place grow from where we’re at now into a winning organization,” Okonkwo said, via McCormick. “I definitely want to be a part of that. I believe in that. I believe in the vision. I believe in Cam and the things that are going on, so I definitely think it would be a great place to be for me.”
On a team that has seen a host of injury troubles in recent years, Okonkwo has been incredibly durable. The former fourth-round pick has never missed a game. He has made 42 starts in four seasons. This campaign brought a career-high 560 receiving yards, marking his second 500-yard slate.
Okonkwo stands to do fairly well as a free agent, but the upcoming tight end class is rather crowded. While older cogs like Travis Kelce (should he return), Dallas Goedert and David Njoku are unsigned, second-contract-seeking TEs Kyle Pitts and Cade Otton are poised to be available.
Additionally, Arden Key said he would like to stay in Nashville. The veteran edge rusher noted (via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport) a belief mutual interest in a re-signing exists. Key played out a three-year, $21MM deal. Arriving as a Harold Landry sidekick, Key outlasted the former Titans staple in Tennessee. The nomadic outside linebacker was mentioned in trade rumors but ultimately retained, finishing the season with four sacks in 12 games. Key (30 in May) combined for 12.5 sacks during two prior seasons as a Landry wingman, however.
Titans Request HC Interviews With Matt Nagy, Steve Spagnuolo, Vance Joseph, Lou Anarumo
JANUARY 6: Tennessee’s interview with Anarumo will take place tomorrow, per Rapoport. He and Pelissero add the Nagy interview will be on Thursday. Spagnuolo will also interview Thursday, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. Those three will be joined by recently unemployed staffers Kevin Stefanski and Raheem Morris as candidates to speak with the Titans at least once.
JANUARY 5: The Titans were the first team to fire their head coach during the 2025 season, moving on from Brian Callahan on Oct. 13. They replaced Callahan with interim choice Mike McCoy, but it didn’t lead to a turnaround. With the Titans’ offseason now underway after a 3-14 campaign, they’re working to find Callahan’s full-time successor.
Tennessee has requested interviews with two Chiefs assistants – offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo – as well as Broncos D-coordinator Vance Joseph and Colts DC Lou Anarumo (via reports from Jordan Schultz, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). The Titans are also expected to request a meeting with Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, per Schultz. Kingsbury’s name previously came up in connection to the Titans’ job on Sunday.
General manager Mike Borgonzi is leading the Titans’ search, though the next hire will come with owner Amy Adams Strunk‘s blessing. The fact that Borgonzi is considering Nagy and Spagnuolo for the job isn’t a surprise. Borgonzi worked in Kansas City’s front office from 2009-24, giving him plenty of familiarity with Nagy and Spagnuolo.
Both Nagy and Spagnuolo come with head coaching experience, but the former had far more success in his first stop. Nagy led the Bears to a 34-31 mark and two playoff berths from 2018-21. He earned Coach of the Year honors in his first season in Chicago.
Although Nagy doesn’t call the plays as Kansas City’s O-coordinator (that responsibility belongs to Andy Reid), his offensive background appeals to the Titans. Getting the most out of quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, will be among their next head coach’s most important tasks.
An acclaimed defensive assistant throughout his career, the 66-year-old Spagnulo has won four Super Bowls as a coordinator (three with the Chiefs, one with the Giants). However, his initial stint as a full-time head coach couldn’t have gone much worse. The then-St. Louis Rams went 10-38 under Spagnuolo from 2009-11. Spagnuolo later held the interim gig with the Giants after Ben McAdoo‘s firing in 2017. He went 1-3 in that brief run, but Spagnuolo’s stock has since gone way up during his brilliant seven-year reign atop the Chiefs’ defense.
Joseph, one of Spagnuolo’s fellow AFC West D-coordinators, is also a former head coach. While Joseph struggled to an 11-21 mark with the Broncos from 2015-16, his success since returning to Denver as an assistant in 2023 could lead to a second chance as a sideline general. Thanks largely to Joseph’s defense, which ranks first in sacks, second in yards and third in points, the 14-3 Broncos will enter the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Anarumo is the lone candidate in this group who has not worked as a head coach. Now 59, Anarumo was an assistant at various colleges before joining the Dolphins’ defensive staff in 2012. He earned his first D-coordinator job with the Bengals in 2019. Anarumo stayed in place for six years, a span in which the Bengals went to two AFC title games and a Super Bowl, but the team fired him after its defense finished 25th overall in 2024.
Anarumo quickly caught on with the Colts, who spiraled to an 8-9 mark after starting 8-2 in 2025. The Colts’ defense ended the year an underwhelming 21st in points and 23rd in yards, but injuries to DeForest Buckner, Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward took away three of Anarumo’s best players for significant periods of time. The Titans obviously aren’t holding that against him.
The Chiefs, Colts and Commanders failed to qualify for the playoffs, which means Nagy, Spagnulo, Anarumo and Kingsbury are eligible to interview as early as Tuesday, Dianna Russini of The Athletic relays. With the Broncos on a bye, Joseph will be available to discuss the Tennessee job on Wednesday. He’ll do so via Zoom, according to Mike Klis of 9News.
Kevin Stefanski Expected To Interview With Giants, Falcons, Titans
9:22pm: Stefanski will indeed be interviewing with the Titans. Veteran reporter Paul Kuharsky reports that the ousted Browns coach will meet with Tennessee leadership on Saturday.
3:40pm: In the time leading up to ‘Black Monday,’ it became increasingly clear Kevin Stefanski‘s time in Cleveland was coming to an end. The Browns, as expected, fired him this morning. 
Many have pointed to Stefanski as one of the top head coaching candidates in the 2026 cycle. To no surprise, then, a list of prospective suitors has emerged in short order. Stefanski is expected to interview with the Giants, Falcons and Titans, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Prior to his dismissal, Stefanski was named as a candidate to watch regarding the Giants. New York has used Mike Kafka in an interim capacity since firing Brian Daboll. Kafka will receive an interview for the full-time gig, but a number of outside options will be explored as well.
The Titans’ initial batch of interview requests came out earlier today. The Chiefs tandem of Matt Nagy and Steve Spagnuolo along with Broncos and Colts defensive coordinators Vance Joseph and Lou Anarumo have been targeted for an interview. Tennessee has also been mentioned as a likely suitor in the case of Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury. Stefanski represents another veteran play-caller on the offensive side of the ball as the Titans seek out Brian Callahan‘s replacement.
By Sunday night, Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot had been fired by Atlanta. The team is nearing a hire for a new president of football operations position. Matt Ryan is the frontrunner for that role. Once a deal has been finalized in that respect, attention will turn to the HC and GM vacancies. Atlanta has already submitted interview requests with Klint Kubiak (offensive coordinator, Seahawks) and Anthony Weaver (defensive coordinator, Dolphins).
Stefanski won a pair of Coach of the Year awards during his six seasons with the Browns. Things have not gone according to plan since the start of 2024, however, a factor which was noted in the statement confirming his dismissal. Nevertheless, the 43-year-old is largely held in a high regard as a veteran offensive mind who has (at times) found success in spite of unenviable quarterback situations.
Developing any of Jaxson Dart, Cam Ward or Michael Penix Jr. would be seen as a top priority for Stefanski in the event of a hire. His interest in each of the vacancies in New York, Tennessee and Atlanta will be worth monitoring as the hiring landscape takes shape. Given the fact he is now unemployed, Stefanski is free to interview with teams at any time.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/5/26
We’ve got our first batch of reserve/futures contracts to pass along. These moves allow organizations to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- WR Chris Blair, P Trenton Gill, DB Tysheem Johnson, DT Ben Stille, OT Andrew Stueber, RB Carlos Washington Jr., DB A.J. Woods
Baltimore Ravens
- OT Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, WR Cornelius Johnson, DT David Olajiga, DB Amani Oruwariye, G Jared Penning, DB Marquise Robinson, LB Kaimon Rucker, FB Lucas Scott
Cincinnati Bengals
- LB Liam Anderson, C Jacob Bayer, RB Gary Brightwell, QB Sean Clifford, OT Andrew Coker, DT Howard Cross III, OT Javon Foster, WR Xavier Johnson, CB Jalen Kimber, CB Bralyn Lux, WR Jordan Moore, LB Antwaun Powell-Ryland, S Russ Yeast
Cleveland Browns
- TE Sal Cannella, G Jack Conley, WR Luke Floriea, RB Ahmani Marshall, OT Tyre Phillips, TE Caden Prieskorn
Dallas Cowboys
- WR ParrisCampbell, OL Nick Leverett
Detroit Lions
- OL Devin Cochran, WR Malik Cunningham, DE Ahmed Hassanein, TE Zach Horton, WR Jackson Meeks, OL Mason Miller, RB Jabari Small, DL Chris Smith, S Loren Strickland
Indianapolis Colts
- RB Ulysses Bentley IV, CB Wyett Ekeler, DE Viliami Fehoko Jr., G LaDarius Henderson, QB Seth Henigan, OT Bayron Matos, TE Sean McKeon, C Jimmy Morrissey, G Bill Murray, DE Durell Nchami, S Ben Nikkel, WR Coleman Owen, WR Eli Pancol, G Josh Sills, DT Tim Smith, S Trey Washington
Kansas City Chiefs
- LB Kam Arnold, DT Marcus Harris, WR Jimmy Holiday, OT Matt Waletzko
Las Vegas Raiders
- RB Chris Collier, G McClendon Curtis, LB Jamin Davis, WR Phillip Dorsett, DT Treven Ma’ae, OT Joshua Miles, TE Albert Okwuegbunam, WR Brenden Rice, G Layden Robinson, WR Justin Shorter, OL Laki Tasi, OT Dalton Wagner
Minnesota Vikings
- WR Joaquin Davis, OT Caleb Etienne, WR Dontae Fleming, S Kahlef Hailassie, WR Jeshaun Jones, TE Bryson Nesbit, G Vershon Lee, LB Josh Ross
New Orleans Saints
- CB Dalys Beanum, CB Beanie Bishop, WR Elijah Cooks, S Elliott Davison, DT Coziah Izzard, OT Easton Kilty, CB Jayden Price, OT Barry Wesley
New York Giants
- LB Swayze Bozeman, TE Tanner Conner, OLB Trace Ford, OL Reid Holskey, CB Patrick McMorris, CB Myles Purchase
New York Jets
- DE Paschal Ekeji, OL Liam Fornadel, LB Ochaun Mathis, WR Jamaal Pritchett, DB Samuel Womack
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- DB Marcus Banks, WR Dennis Houston, NT Nash Hutmacher, LB Nick Jackson, DT Jayson Jones, C Ben Scott, LB Benton Whitley, DB Damarion Williams, RB Josh Williams, RB Owen Wright
Tennessee Titans
- DE David Ebuka Agoha, DB Keydrain Calligan, DT Timmy Horne, LB Nate Lynn, WR Hal Presley, NT Isaiah Raikes, WR Xavier Restrepo, LB Cam Riley, RB Blake Watson, G Clay Webb, TE Joel Wilson
Washington Commanders
- Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, DT Ricky Barber, WR Ja’Corey Brooks, CB Tre Hawkins, DE D.J. Johnson, WR Jacoby Jones, DE TJ Maguranyanga, S Rob McDaniel, OT Tim McKay, CB Darius Rush, CB Car’lin Vigers
Titans Expected To Release WR Calvin Ridley
Despite having two years remaining on his contract, Calvin Ridley‘s stint in Tennessee has likely come to an end. According to ESPN’s Turron Davenport, the veteran wide receiver is expected to be a cap casualty this offseason.
The Titans won a bidding war for Ridley during the 2024 offseason, signing the former first-round pick to a four-year, $92MM contract. Despite uninspiring QB play from Will Levis and Mason Rudolph, Ridley still produced during his first season with the Titans, finishing with 64 catches for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns.
While the Titans added first-overall pick Cam Ward to guide the offense in 2025, Ridley saw his per-game receiving numbers drop from 59.8 in 2024 to 43.3 in 2025. The wideout was limited to only 17 catches in seven games before his season ended early thanks to a broken fibula.
Ridley is owed about $41MM in base salary between 2026 and 2027, with his cap hits exceeding $26MM in each of those campaigns. However, the Titans did include an out in his contract, so the team could release Ridley and only be left with around $13MM in dead cap. About $3MM of his 2026 salary is guaranteed in mid-March, allowing the player to still enter free agency at about the same time as his peers.
While teams might not be able to justify a $20MM annual commitment to the receiver, Ridley still shouldn’t lack for suitors if he does hit the open market. The wideout proved to be a formidable scorer during his time with the Falcons, hauling in 26 touchdowns through his first three seasons in the league. He also has three 1,000-plus-yard seasons on his resume, including a 1,374-yard showing with the Falcons in 2020 that led to his lone All-Pro nod.
While 2026 will represent Ridley’s age-32 season, he should be a worthy target for WR-needy teams. Assuming he is cut, he’ll be joining a positional free agent class that includes the likes of George Pickens, Mike Evans, Alec Pierce, Jauan Jennings, and Wan’Dale Robinson.
Titans Arrange Raheem Morris HC Meeting
His Falcons tenure cut short after two seasons, Raheem Morris represents a prime defensive coordinator candidate. But a report earlier today indicated the two-time NFL HC would be expected to draw interest for another top job.
The Titans will make good on that, as ESPN’s Peter Schrager reports Morris will meet with the AFC South team about its HC vacancy. The interview is scheduled for this week. Morris is among a host of candidates linked with the Tennessee job thus far; a round of interview slips went out today.
Tennessee is hoping to interview Kevin Stefanski, Matt Nagy, Steve Spagnuolo, Vance Joseph and Lou Anarumo. Morris joins Stefanski as a dismissed HC on the market. Because Morris and Stefanski are unattached, they can meet in-person with any interested team. Coaches who are tied to a team presently cannot, giving the unemployed options a leg up to start the process.
Anarumo, Joseph, Nagy and Spagnuolo can meet with the Titans starting Wednesday. Joseph can meet with the team remotely. Had the Broncos not won in Week 18, Joseph would have been unable to meet about the job until after three days after the wild-card round. Since Denver secured a first-round bye, its DC can discuss the position this week. The Titans must interview two external minority candidates to satisfy the Rooney Rule. Joseph is seen as one of this market’s top candidates; after Morris went two-and-done in Atlanta, it is difficult to gauge his standing.
Morris, 49, went 16-18 in his second Falcons stint. Overall, he is 37-56. It is fair to point out Morris has been tied to inconsistent quarterbacks throughout his coaching career. The Buccaneers’ failed Josh Freeman experiment occurred during Morris’ time leading the Tampa Bay staff, and Michael Penix Jr. struggled before going down with a season-ending injury this year. The Falcons made the atypical decision to hand out a big free agency deal (to Kirk Cousins) only to turn around and use a top-10 pick on a passer six weeks later. This made for a convoluted setup, though Morris’ staff was believed to be a key part of the Penix investment.
A defensive coach who won a Super Bowl ring as the DC for the Rams, Morris also is the rare leader with extensive experience on both sides of the ball. He coached Falcons wide receivers from 2015-19 and served as Dan Quinn‘s offensive pass-game coordinator during part of that time. This past season, the Falcons rejuvenated their pass rush; Atlanta’s 57 sacks trailed only Denver this season. That represented a remarkable turnaround, but while that occurred during a season in which the Falcons won their final four games, the team still opted to reboot and fire both its HC and GM (Terry Fontenot).
Titans QB Cam Ward Unlikely To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
Cam Ward avoided injuries throughout his rookie season until midway through Week 18. An injury to his throwing shoulder left the Titans without their starting quarterback to close out the campaign. 
Further testing took place on Monday in Ward’s case. An AC joint sprain was confirmed, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. As veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharksy notes, it is unclear at this point if the injury is indeed a Grade 3 strain as was indicated yesterday. In any event, the team is viewing today’s updates as the best-case scenario.
It has been recommended to Ward that he avoid undergoing surgery. When speaking to the media on Monday, the 2025 No. 1 pick said (via Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com) he is not certain at this point if he will have a procedure. Ward does not believe one will be necessary, though. With that matter still unclear at the moment, no firm timeline is in place.
For now, Ward’s attention will turn to rehabbing the injury. The 23-year-old will look to heal in full prior to the offseason program while preparing for his second year in Tennessee. It remains to be seen who his coach will be, but Ward will be expected to build off the momentum generated over the closing stages of the campaign. After throwing one interception in six straights games through September and October, he was picked off only once more the rest of the way.
Ward posted a passer rating of 80.2 and was sacked a league-leading 55 times in 2025. That illustrates the need for further improvement on offense – especially up front – along with development from the Washington State and Miami product. It remains to be seen if the necessary steps forward will be taken in 2026, but at least a lengthy recovery process will not be needed.
Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
With the AFC North now settled (in rather dramatic fashion), the 2025 regular season is in the books. Following their decisions to shelve Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby, the Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick. After entering Week 17 in that slot, the Giants — as they did in 2024 — slipped out of the top two thanks to a late-season win.
Big Blue’s victories over the Raiders and Cowboys dropped them to No. 5, with today’s win allowing the Jets, Cardinals and Titans to leapfrog them. The Giants, who fell out of the No. 1 spot last year thanks to a Drew Lock-led win over the Colts in Week 17, will still hold a top-five pick — just not the one most expected two weeks ago. The Jets saw the Colts’ collapse, which dropped them from 8-2 to 8-9, give them two picks in the top 16.
The Cardinals started 2-0 but managed to close the season with 14 losses over their final 15 games. This will give Arizona a top-four pick for the third time in the Monti Ossenfort era. The GM traded out of that slot in 2023 before drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024; Ossenfort is expected to be retained for a fourth season, providing another opportunity. This will be the third straight year the Titans will hold a top-seven pick.
The Buccaneers beat the Panthers on Saturday, but thanks to a three-way NFC South tie, Tampa Bay’s draft slot will land out of the playoff positions for the first time since 2020. Because Atlanta defeated New Orleans today, Carolina’s first-round pick will slide into the bottom 14 despite its 8-9 finish — one that secured playoff entry for the first time since 2017.
Although the draft order is not fully set due to the upcoming playoffs, the first 18 picks are. Here is how the order looks after Week 18:
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
- New York Jets (3-14)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- New York Giants (4-13)
- Cleveland Browns (5-12)
- Washington Commanders (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (6-11)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
- Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
- Miami Dolphins (7-10)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Detroit Lions (9-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
- Carolina Panthers (8-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
- Buffalo Bills (12-5)
- Chicago Bears (11-6)
- San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
- Houston Texans (12-5)
- Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
- Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
- New England Patriots (14-3)
- Denver Broncos (14-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
Titans’ Cam Ward Suffers Shoulder Injury
Titans quarterback Cam Ward‘s rookie season came to an unceremoniously early ending today when he exited today’s season finale with an injury. Ward has been initially diagnosed with a Grade 3 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe and Titans insider Paul Kuharsky. 
Ward landed on shoulder of his throwing arm while reaching for the end zone on the Titans’ first drive of Sunday’s game in Jacksonville. Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun landed on top of the No. 1 overall pick, driving him harder into the ground. Ward briefly went into the blue tent before making his way to the locker room and was seen later on the sideline in sweats.
Despite the injury, the 23-year-old started every game for the Titans in his rookie campaign. Though Ward had appeared on the team’s injury report back in Week 4 with ankle/calf issues, and though Ward was the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL this year (55, tied with Raiders quarterback Geno Smith), Ward had played 100 percent of the team’s offensive snaps up to that point of the season. Backup quarterback Brandon Allen‘s first snaps today were Tennessee’s first offensive snaps without Ward on the field this year.
AC joint sprain recovery times vary depending on the degree of severity. A milder Grade 1 sprain may take a couple weeks to shake off, whereas a Grade 3 sprain could take several months to recover from. The team saw former starter Will Levis suffer an AC joint sprain early in his second year with the team. He was cleared after the Titans’ bye week and started the next game without missing any time, but he reaggravated the injury in his first game after the injury and was sidelined for the next three weeks. Levis underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in July before this season, but it’s unclear if the procedure was related to the AC joint sprain or a more recent injury.
Ward’s injury ended a rookie season that he will want to quickly move on from. Coming into the final week of the season, Ward ranked 25th in the NFL in passing yards per game and dead last in touchdowns per pass attempt. As mentioned above, he also led the league in sacks taken and yards lost from sacks. Many of these troubling stats can be attributed to Ward adjusting to the speed difference from college to the pros, but the quality of the players around him should not be ignored.
While Ward certainly needs to get the ball out quicker in certain situations, he was under pressure on 27.9 percent of his pass attempts, the third-highest percentage in the league. His receivers also racked up the 12th-most drops in the NFL and finished 27th in the NFL in yards after catch. Ward did show bright spots, though, like only throwing seven interceptions, good for an interception rate of 1.3 percent — the third-best such figure in the NFL this year. He also was able to keep plays alive with his legs and turn broken plays into highlights, something he was known to do in college, as well.
All-in-all, the Titans still believe that Ward is their franchise quarterback, but his development is going to be crucial as he looks to take another step forward in Year 2. The team will likely have Ward undergo some testing to determine the exact severity of today’s injury, and they’ll hope that the resulting recovery time won’t keep him from being available for OTAs in May.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Kliff Kingsbury On Titans’ HC Radar; Commanders Not Certain To Retain OC?
Kliff Kingsbury stayed off the 2025 HC carousel, preferring to ride the momentum he built for steering Jayden Daniels‘ Offensive Rookie of the Year season. A year later, the Commanders have nosedived. Changes are expected.
As we have discussed a few times, this year’s HC talent pool features more defense-based candidates. That should give Kingsbury an opportunity to potentially return to the HC level despite being tied to a losing team. The Titans are believed to be interested in Kingsbury, whom JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington believes has a “real shot” of landing that job.
But Kingsbury also may find himself in a highly unusual position: a candidate for HC jobs elsewhere but not certain to retain his own position. A disconnect has developed between Kingsbury and Commanders GM Adam Peters, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Although the Commanders are still expected to retain Kingsbury — in the event he does not land a top coaching job elsewhere — that is certainly notable as a rough season concludes. This comes as rather surprising given the push the Commanders made to dissuade Kingsbury from taking the Raiders’ OC job in 2024.
The 2024 Commanders made one of the most surprising trips to the conference championship game in NFL history. Daniels flashed superstar potential as a rookie, and Kingsbury — who has spoken of wanting another HC shot — was content to stay paired with the rising talent. A three-injury 2025 season for Daniels stonewalled the Commanders’ momentum, and an aging roster will require many changes. It would surprise if the Commanders greenlit a play-caller change considering how much Daniels achieved when last healthy for an extended stretch, but any friction between Kingsbury and the front office could make him more eager to explore opportunities this year.
The Titans have been closely connected to Matt Nagy, who joins Kingsbury as a second-chance candidate with an offensive background. Nagy also worked with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi. Kingsbury has no such tie, but he did appear on many teams’ HC radars after Washington ranked fifth in scoring an seventh total yardage in 2024. With Daniels largely out of the mix this season, the Commanders have sunk to 25th and 21st in those categories. Kingsbury, 46, did not conduct any HC interviews last year. That might change in 2026, as he has also been tied to the Giants’ HC position.
Elsewhere on the Commanders’ staff, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero note Joe Whitt Jr. is likely to be removed from this DC post. We heard last month this was the expected course of action. With Dan Quinn stripping his longtime coworker of play-calling duties, it appeared Whitt — as is the case with Lions OC John Morton after he lost his call sheet — was a clear firing candidate at season’s end.