By: Colin Lacy

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Heading into the 2025 season, there may be more buzz around the Tennessee Titans than there has been since Steve McNair was calling shots.

Second year Head Coach Brian Callahan led the Titans last season to a 3-14 record after the Mike Vrabel tenure ended in Nashville following the 2023 season.

There has been a ton of turnover in players, coaches, front office, and virtually every aspect of the team since the three straight playoff seasons from 2019-2021 under Vrabel and quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

The biggest addition to the Titans heading into the 2025 season is the man who heard his name called first in this year’s NFL Draft.

Cam Ward was selected first overall by the Titans in the 2025 NFL Draft and ever since the expectations have only been exceeded.

Everyone saw what Cam Ward can do on the field in his final collegiate season for the Miami Hurricanes and through all of the pre-draft workouts, but the biggest news coming out of the Titan’s OTAs have been the dedication, work ethic, and leadership that Ward has already built in Nashville and inside the building.

One of the first illustrations of this is at the press conference after signing his rookie contract, Titans (formerly Oilers) Hall of Famer Warren Moon spoke with a glowing endorsement by allowing Ward to wear his number “1” that had been retired by the franchise since 2006.

“I have a lot of respect for this young man right here,” said Moon who started his pro career in the CFL with the Edmonton Eskimos. “A lot of our journey is similar as far as all the things he was told throughout the journey about not being good enough, nobody wanted to give him that great opportunity. But he just kept fighting, kept working, kept showing leadership, perseverance, and here he is today, the No. 1 overall pick in the National Football League draft. So that’s the reason why I wanted to be here to let him know how proud of him I am. As far as the number and everything is concerned. I wore the number 1 for a lot of various reasons, and I wore it for a long time, starting back to 1976 when I was in college. I think I wore it very honorably for the Houston Oilers organization to the point to where I created a Hall of Fame career for myself. Now, I’m part of the Tennessee Titans family. My Houston Oilers jersey will probably never be worn again, I hope it won’t. But the Tennessee Titans jersey is going to be worn by Cam, and Cam will be starting a new freshness in this organization to kind of revitalize it and get it back to where it was a number of years ago, one of the more successful organizations in the league. So, I am excited to see what he is going to do with his legacy wearing this number, and I am proud of the things I did to establish my legacy with the time I wore that number.”

All of the hype that has followed Cam Ward has created a buzz around the team, but does that translate to wins? Only time will tell.

Another key part of the equation that failed the Titans last year was the offensive line. Brian Callahan has been known as an O-Line guru in all his stops in football and has been a huge point of emphasis in the off-season.

The Titans not only brought in a couple of veterans to the mix but also are getting several linemen back from injury, especially Lloyd Cushenberry at center that was riddled with injuries last season.

In the shadows of the construction of the new stadium across the parking lot from Nissan Stadium, that will open in 2027, the Titans are trying to make an enormous step forward in 2025, and I truly believe that with Cam Ward and additions like veteran receiver Tyler Lockett and others, the Titans will be in playoff contention in year one of the rookie phenom and look to settle back as a force in the AFC South for years to come!