The Tennessee Titans will take the field for training camp in under four weeks, meaning the 2026 NFL season isn’t as far away as you would think.
After four straight seasons with double digit losses, the Titans are poised for improvement this year in their first season under head coach Robert Saleh. However, they’ll need some of their veteran talent, especially on offense, to step up in order to ensure a step in the right direction campaign.
That said, let’s take a look at three Titans who are entering make-or-break seasons in 2026.
3 Titans entering make-or-break 2026 seasons
Running back Tyjae Spears
Through three seasons, Spears has shown promise as an explosive playmaker. However, since his rookie year in 2023, Spears has been unable to stay healthy for an entire 17-game slate, and that’s a problem when Tony Pollard has missed just one contest since signing with Tennessee during the 2024 offseason.
In 13 games last season, Spears tallied just 283 rushing yards and two touchdowns on under four yards per carry, and also added 264 yards through the air. With Pollard being the clear-cut RB1, Spears isn’t going to get the opportunity to post elite production, but if the 25-year-old is unable to stay healthy and is inefficient with his touches once again, it could lead to the end of his time in Nashville.
Additonally, the Titans have already begun preparing for life after Spears, and possibly Pollard, with the selection of Nick Singleton in Round 4 of April’s draft. The pressure is on Spears to perform in a contract year, and to put the Titans in a tough spot next spring with the running back room.
Wide receiver Calvin Ridley
A hamstring injury and a broken fibula limited Ridley to just seven games in 2025, but even when on the field, the veteran receiver wasn’t every effective, tallying just 17 receptions for 303 yards.
Ridley was a prime cut candidate for the Titans this offseason, but general manager Mike Borgonzi decided to keep the 31-year-old around on a restructured deal. Nevertheless, Tennesseecan save $22.5 million by moving on from RIdley next offseason, and that would be a no-brainer decision if the former Atlanta Falcon turns in a disappointing 2026 season.
However, Ridley is set up for success this year. He’s back in a WR2 role, which fits him better, and the 6-foot-1 playmaker also knows Brian Daboll’s offense well, as the two spent time together at Alabama when Ridley was the Crimson Tide’s No. 1 receiver and Daboll was the offensive coordinator.
With the two reunited in Tennessee, Daboll could unlock Ridley’s game again, and the former first-round pick could be in for a major bounce-back season.
Offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr.
Moore was inconsistent for the Titans last season, and that just isn’t going to cut it for a guy who is getting paid like an upper-echeclon tackle.
In 16 starts in 2025, Moore allowed eight sacks and 48 quarterback pressures, while also committing seven penalties. As of now, I’m not comfortable with him being the long-term blindside protector for Cam Ward.
If Moore can’t string together a solid 2026 campaign, where he is above-average in pass protection and limits penalties, the Titans may consider moving on in 2027 and finding their left tackle of the future in the draft. Tennessee could save $15.7 million by cutting Moore with a post June 1 designation next offseason, and if that happens, the 27-year-old will go down as one of the biggest free agency misses in recent Titans history.
Spears, Ridley, and Moore have a lot to prove in 2026, and their futures in Tennessee could even be on the line. We’ll see how it all plays out as the season inches closer.
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