The Tennessee Titans can’t treat wins and losses as the barometer for success. Since 2024, they’ve won just seven games and haven’t had a winning season since 2021. The loss to Cleveland highlighted just how deep the Titans are in rebuilding purgatory. They can get out the depths of the NFL’s worst teams, but it’s going to take more than stringing together wins. Cleveland was able to do it this season against all odds and the wins are just a result of what the front office did to finally look like a respectable franchise. 

Tennessee will be opening up its new stadium next season and when it does, it will be a chance to leave behind the stench this team has carried for half a decade. Here’s how Tennessee can learn from teams like the Browns and find a way to be a contending franchise again. 

1. Organizational structure

Since the 2023 season, the Titans have had four different coaches, including Mike McCoy, who served as interim coach for 11 games after Brian Callahan got fired six games into his second season. When you have a young quarterback, it’s hard changing coaches that often. It wasn’t a bad decision to choose Robert Saleh, but was he the best option for the state of this team? Since the 2022 season, they’ve also had four different GMs. Winning starts with organizational consistency and the Titans don’t have any right now. 

When you look at teams like the Cleveland Browns, while they do have a new coach, they kept Kevin Stefanski around, even through two downtrodden years after making the playoffs. They retained Andrew Berry after his job was called into question several times through the Browns’ frustrating seasons and poor roster moves. The last two years, Berry has turned the Browns from a terrible team to a young and promising one that any quarterback would love to walk into. 

Sure they made a terrible decision with Deshaun Watson, but they didn’t let that destroy this team. The Titans can’t let any previous roster decisions — or lack thereof — dictate the future of this team, but it starts with getting some stability to begin with. 

2. Real roster building

No matter how good Cam Ward is, the Titans have to actually build a roster around him. Other than adding Carnell Tate, Ward doesn’t really have a lot of weapons. Wan’Dale Robinson wasn’t a great signing and Calvin Ridley just hasn’t been reliable since his first season in Tennessee. Be that as it may, this defense needs a lot of work too. The Titans have been toward the front of the draft for some time. The draft isn’t won in the first round. It’s what they do the next two days and they haven’t done a good job of building this roster. 

Whether they’re giving Cam Ward more weapons or building a roster that can compete, they have to do better. They need to draft better and get the right youngsters on this team that can develop. In free agency, they need to add any missing pieces that will make this roster better. They haven’t done that. Obviously it’s hard to build a competitive roster when the front office and coaching staff has a lot of turnover.

3. Patience

The most important thing is patience. Most teams don’t know when they’re going to have that season that turns things around, but you can’t force it to happen. You have to let the team develop, go through its lumps and then prepare for when the time is right. The Titans have been patient, but they haven’t been productive. That’s the one thing holding them back from moving out of this decades-long rebuild. 

Tennessee is in a good position where they have a young quarterback to build around and not a lot of hefty contracts weighing this roster down. They just need stability. Can they get a front office and head coach duo that can stick around through the rough years to see it prosper? Do they know when it’s time to move on from once stars to look toward the future?

When the Titans answer those questions, then they’ll have the recipe for turning into contenders.