Vikings Archives

The 2025 Tennessee Titans rebooted under first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi and second-year head coach Brian Callahan, holding the draft’s first overall selection after a dismal 2024 campaign. Tennessee spent that prized top pick on Miami quarterback Cam Ward while adding veteran free agents like guard Kevin Zeitler, safety Xavier Woods, edge defender Dre'Mont Jones, and linebacker Cody Barton. Yet the roster re-tooling provided little instant relief on the scoreboard. Callahan was dismissed following a 1–5 start, handing interim duties to senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy, who went 2–9 down the stretch. Tennessee finished fourth in the AFC South with a 3–14 record, missing the postseason for the fourth consecutive year and tying the franchise’s lowest win total in a decade.

Tennessee’s offense languished near the bottom of the NFL, ranking 30th in scoring with 284 points (16.7 ppg) and 31st in total yards with 4,413. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward started all 17 games, completing 59.8 percent of his passes for 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while enduring 55 sacks behind an overhauled line. Running back Tony Pollard served as the unit’s primary yard gainer, rushing for 1,082 yards and five touchdowns while catching 33 passes for 206 yards. Tight end Chig Okonkwo posted a team-high 560 receiving yards, complemented by rookie wideouts Elic Ayomanor with 515 receiving yards and four touchdowns and Chimere Dike with 423 receiving yards and four scores.

Defensively, coordinator Dennard Wilson’s group surrendered 478 points (28.1 ppg) which ranked for 28th in the league and 5,867 total yards as opposing drives consistently capitalized on short fields. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons anchored the interior, generating a team-high 11.0 sacks and 17 tackles for loss across 15 starts. Linebacker Cedric Gray spearheaded the tackling efforts with a huge 164 total tackles, while Cody Barton added 81 tackles and three interceptions. Up front, edge rushers Jihad Ward and Dre'Mont Jones combined for 9.5 sacks to support a pass defense that managed only six total interceptions all season.

The season’s narrative was defined by extended slumps punctuated by fleeting moments of success. After opening 0–4, Tennessee earned its first victory in Week 5 with a 22–21 road triumph over the Arizona Cardinals. That high point immediately dissolved into an seven-game losing streak that buried the Titans in the division standings. The team broke the skid in Week 14 with a dramatic 31–29 win at Cleveland before securing its most impressive performance in Week 16, shocking the Kansas City Chiefs 26–9 behind a stifling defensive effort that surrendered just 133 total yards.

While missing the playoffs sealed back-to-back 3–14 finishes, special teams and individual standouts delivered rare highlights. Rookie receiver Chimere Dike established himself as an elite weapon on special teams, logging 398 punt return yards with two touchdowns alongside 1,588 kickoff return yards. Dike and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons both earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors. Kicker Joey Slye converted 28 of 35 field goal attempts, including a long of 58 yards. 2025 marked another challenging year, but Ward’s rookie development and Dike’s explosive playmaking hopefully laid building blocks for Tennessee’s future.