The Tennessee Titans should be better than 3-14 in 2025, no matter what the schedule looks like.
The NFL announced its 2025 schedule on May 14, giving the Titans their road map for how Year 1 of the Cam Ward era will look. The Titans drafted Ward No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and will have an offseason to install him as the new face of the offense and the franchise. Along the way, they will have to prepare for opponents like Kansas City, Denver, Houston and San Francisco — teams that have been legitimate contenders in recent years.
As the Ward era gets underway, here are The Tennessean’s way-too-early predictions for the 2025 season based on the 2025 NFL schedule release.
BUY TENNESSEE TITANS 2025 TICKETS
It’s a brutal matchup for the Titans. Denver has a top-five defense, led by a guru in defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. No one should be shocked if Ward can out-maneuver Joseph’s tricks. But for his first time out as a pro, this isn’t the kind of opponent you want to see.
Pick: Broncos 23, Titans 13
This is a reloaded Rams roster, and one of the three best squads that’ll visit Nissan Stadium all year. It’s a little early in the season for the Titans to be thinking upset here, and the panic starts to set in after a couple of early losses.
Pick: Rams 28, Titans 17
Teams built around Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones at quarterback aren’t necessarily set up to come back. The Titans build an early lead here and hold on to it. Congrats on the first win of the Ward era.
Pick: Titans 30, Colts 13
Ward grew up barely an hour away from NRG Stadium, so this homecoming game will be compelling. But the real matchup to watch is the Titans’ rebuilt offensive line against Houston’s fearsome pass rush. Just like last fall, let’s forecast the upset as Ward impresses in his return to Texas.
Pick: Titans 27, Texans 20
Week 5: at Arizona Cardinals
One thing the Titans won’t have to do too much of in 2025? Scheme against dual-threat quarterbacks. Kyler Murray’s one of the few exceptions, and he’ll take advantage of that.
Pick: Cardinals 27, Titans 17
Here’s the question: Will the Raiders’ lack of talent at receiver and in coverage outweigh the Titans’ question marks up the middle? Maybe this is a game Ward can light up and the Titans’ strengths in the secondary can do the rest. Or maybe this is a day where Raiders rookie RB Ashton Jeanty wrests the Offensive Rookie of the Year trophy away from Ward.
Pick: Titans 27, Raiders 21
Who isn’t excited for the Mike Vrabel Reunion Show to come to town? Quarterback Drake Maye should be improved in Year 2, and the Patriots made plenty of splashy moves in free agency. This won’t be the same New England team the Titans beat a year ago. But it also won’t be the same Titans squad that was led at the time by Mason Rudolph. The Titans hold off Vrabel’s team for a cathartic, big relief of a win for Brian Callahan and his suddenly above-.500 team.
Pick: Titans 27, Patriots 24
Week 8: at Indianapolis Colts
The Colts’ running game has made the Titans look silly at times the past two years. The way the linebacker room is lacking in depth as of now, that’s not a great sign for a road trip.
Pick: Colts 24, Titans 20
The Titans have played the Chargers close three years in a row but have only one win to show for it. Expect the trend to continue with another close game, and unfortunately for Titans fans, another close loss.
Pick: Chargers 24, Titans 20
Week 11: vs. Houston Texans
Few teams have spent more resources building around their pass offense and pass defense than Houston. The Titans just don’t have the matchup-for-matchup firepower to keep up with the Texans’ talent on the perimeter during your average game.
Pick: Texans 31, Titans 21
Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks
It’ll make Titans fans feel a lot better about not pursuing QB Sam Darnold in free agency when the Titans beat him and the Seahawks in Nashville. Consider Seattle’s transition season a bit of a flop.
Pick: Titans 35, Seahawks 24
Week 13: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Let’s face it: You have as good of a shot of predicting what’ll happen in a Titans-Jags game as you do using a telescope to find Neptune during a solar eclipse. It’s technically possible, but it’s as dangerous as it is foolish. No one knows what silliness will happen in this game, but rest comfortably knowing there will be silliness.
Pick: Jaguars 17, Titans 14
Week 14: at Cleveland Browns
These were the worst two teams in football last year. The Titans might’ve gotten better in the offseason. The Browns probably haven’t. But a road game in Cleveland in December still favors the team built to play in those conditions.
Pick: Browns 17, Titans 15
Week 15: at San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers aren’t the power squadron they were even two seasons ago. Their defense, in particular, has some pretty notable holes. But if RB Christian McCaffrey is healthy, it’ll be up to the Titans to slow him and whiz play caller Kyle Shanahan down.
Pick: 49ers 32, Titans 27
Week 16: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Is Ward worthy of the comparisons to Patrick Mahomes he drew during the pre-draft process? Only time will tell there. But in their first head-to-head meeting, the future Hall of Famer certainly has the edge.
Pick: Chiefs 34, Titans 23
At first glance, the Saints might be competing for the title of worst team in the NFL. But teams are more than their quarterbacks, and the savvy of some of the veterans still hanging around in New Orleans, especially on defense, make this a tougher matchup than some would think.
Nevertheless, the Saints’ tank is on empty. It’s too late in the season for a team like the Saints to miss this kind of layup. And the Titans end a brutal losing streak.
Pick: Titans 21, Saints 13
Week 18: at Jacksonville Jaguars
If 2025 in Nashville is going to be all about introducing Ward, 2025 in Jacksonville will be the coming-out-party for do-everything No. 2 pick Travis Hunter. Combine Hunter with a bounce-back year for QB Trevor Lawrence, and the Jags take care of their rival at home.
Pick: Jaguars 23, Titans 15
Titans record prediction 2025
Based on these predictions, The Tennessean has the Titans finishing 6-11.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.