The Titans couldn’t have expected to play many 2025 primetime games after finishing 3-14 last season.

But shut out altogether?

That’s surprising, considering the Titans drafted quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Surely, it seemed, the NFL would be looking to showcase such a player once on any of its Sunday night, Monday night or Thursday night contests.

Instead, the Titans were one of just three teams, along with the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints, that is not scheduled to play at all in primetime. It is possible that each of those teams could be moved into a night slot, when the NFL is allowed to start flexing games in Week 5.

But as matters stand now, the Titans will miss out on playing in primetime for the first time since 2011.

Jonathan Jones, CBS Sports’ NFL reporter, asked NFL Vice President of Broadcast Planning and Scheduling Mike North why the Titans were left off the national schedule.

“We kind of have this adage that you play your way into prime time,” North told Jones.

“You don’t draft your way into prime time. So the Titans are one of the teams that don’t currently have a national television window assigned. But that’s what things like flexible scheduling are for. And if you look down the stretch for the Titans, they play San Francisco in Week 15, Kansas City in Week 16. They’ve got the same opportunity every other team has to play their way into a national window.”

That sounds like a logical explanation, but one could argue the policy hasn’t held true in recent years.

In 2023, for instance, the Carolina Panthers were coming off a 7-10 season, but after drafting quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick, found themselves making two primetime appearances — including the second Monday Night Football game of that season.

In 2024, the Chicago Bears also were coming off a 7-10 season but, after drafting quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, found themselves making three national nighttime appearances — two Thursday Night Football games and one Monday Night Football contest.

Did the fact the Panthers and Bears had won seven games before drafting their quarterbacks — compared to the Titans’ three last season — really make them that much more appetizing to the NFL schedule makers?

Going back further, the Cincinnati Bengals were 2-14 in 2019, but after drafting Joe Burrow No. 1 in 2020, appeared twice in primetime that year. Did the Bengals really play their way into primetime that season?

It’s also a little strange to hear North talk about teams playing their way into primetime when the New York Giants — who, like the Titans, finished with a 3-14 record last season — are scheduled for three primetime affairs in 2025.

One of the Giants’ primetime contests is against New England, which finished 4-13 last year — yet also is scheduled for three primetime slots.

The potential advantage of playing no primetime games is that it allows teams like the Titans to get used to a familiar routine. Every game is currently scheduled for Sunday afternoon — at least 11 starting at noon — and there are no worries about short practice weeks caused by games on Monday or Thursday.

Still, players enjoy competing on the national stage, and fans take their team’s total of primetime games as a point of pride.

We know now that if the Titans want the national spotlight this season, they’ll have to play their way into it.