Here is your Tennessee Titans Season Preview with everything you need to know ahead of the 2023 season
Tennessee Titans Season Preview
The Tennessee Titans are a team in transition heading into the 2023 season and are trying to juggle a rebuild while remaining in playoff contention. Teams rarely get that balance right but the Titans will be hoping they have got the blend right of youth and experience.
Having been a shoo-in to win the AFC South for so long it looks like it will be an uphill battle for the Titans to regain their Divisional crown from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After going 7-10 in 2022, there have been a raft of changes in Tennessee. GM Jon Robinson is out of the door, replaced by Ron Carthon while Mike Vrabel has made some big decisions with his coaching staff firing Todd Downing as offensive coordinator, as well as Keith Carter, Anthony Midger and Erik Frazier as positional group coaches. Downing has been replaced by Tim Kelly who has been promoted from passing game coordinator.
The Titans were ranked just 28th in points per game in 2022 so changes were inevitable. But, having lost 6 games by just one score, Mike Vrabel clearly feels the Titans can turn some of those close losses into wins in 2023. DeAndre Hopkins has been brought in to kickstart the Titans’ passing attack, while more is expected of Treylon Burks entering his second season.
2023 Schedule
- Week 1- September 10th, 6:00pm (BST): @ New Orleans Saints
- Week 2- September 17th, 6:00pm: Vs LA Rams
- Week 3- September 24th, 6:00pm: @ Cleveland Browns
- Week 4- October 1st, 6:00pm: Vs Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 5- October 8th, 6:00pm: @ Indianapolis Colts
- Week 6- October 15th, 2:30pm: LONDON GAME – Vs Baltimore Ravens
- Week 7- BYE WEEK
- Week 8- October 29th, 5:00pm: Vs Atlanta Falcons
- Week 9- November 3rd, 12:15am: @ Pittsburgh Steelers
- Week 10- November 12th, 6:00pm: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Week 11- November 19th, 6:00pm: @ Jacksonville Jaguars
- Week 12- November 26th, 6:00pm: Vs Carolina Panthers
- Week 13- December 3rd, 6:00pm: Vs Indianapolis Colts
- Week 14- December 12th, 1:15am: @ Miami Dolphins
- Week 15- December 17th, 6:00pm: Vs Houston Texans
- Week 16- December 24th, 6:00pm: Vs Seattle Seahawks
- Week 17- December 31st, 6:00pm: @ Houston Texans
- Week 18- January 7th, TBD: Vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Coaching Staff
General Manager: Ran Carthon
Head Coach: Mike Vrabel
Offensive Coordinator: Tim Kelly
Defensive Coordinator: Shane Bowen
Special Teams Coordinator: Craig Aukerman
Players In
Via Trade
None
Free Agents
- DeAndre Hopkins, WR
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, WR
- Chris Moore, WR
- Alize Mack, TE
- James Empey, C
- Corey Levin, C
- Trevon Wesco, FB
- Andre Dillard, OT
- Daniel Brunskill, OT
- Arden Key, EDGE
- Jaleel Johnson, DT
- Azeez Al-Shaair, LB
- Ben Niemann, LB
- Luke Gifford, LB
- Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB
- A.J. Moore, S
Draft Picks
- Round 1, Pick 11: Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern
- Round 2, Pick 33: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
- Round 3, Pick 81: Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane
- Round 5, Pick 147: Josh Whyle, TE, Cincinnati
- Round 6, Pick 186: Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland
- Round 7, Pick 228: Colton Dowell, WR, Tennessee-Martin
Players Out
- Joshua Dobbs, QB
- Curtis Brooks, DT
- Bud Dupree, EDGE
- Ben Jones, C
- Robert Woods, WR
- Austin Hooper, TE
- David Long, LB
- DeMarcus Walker, EDGE
- Lonnie Johnson Jr., CB
- Taylor Lewan, OT
- Zach Cunningham, LB
- Randy Bullock, K
Projected starters
Offence
QB: Ryan Tannehill
RB: Derrick Henry
WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
TE: Chigoziem Okonkwo
LT: Andre Dillard
LG: Peter Skoronski
C: Aaron Brewer
RG: Jordan Roos
RT: Daniel Brunskill
Defence
DE: Harold Landry III, Arden Key
DT: Jeffery Simmons, Teair Tart
LB: Monty Rice, Azeez Al-Shaair
CB: Sean Murphy-Bunting, Kristian Fulton, Roger McCreary
S: Kevin Byard, Amari Hooker
Key to the Titans’ success on offence will of course be quarterback Ryan Tannehill who needs a big season to avoid pressure for his job from rookie Will Levis. The acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins and the emergence of Treylon Burks will provide him with weapons along with the face of the franchise Derrick Henry who will again be the focal point of the offence.
The Defence has proven talent in Jeffery Simmons, Arden Key, Kevin Byard and Azzez Al-Shaair but a poor cornerback room leaves plenty of question marks on the Titans roster.
2023 Star Player – Derrick Henry
If the Titans are going to be successful in 2023 they have to go back to what has made them so prolific. The run game.
At 29 you can’t blame the Titans for giving him some support and relief at the position, having drafted Tyjae Spears out of Tulane. But at the age of 29, turning 30 during the season, Henry can still put together a productive season. And he will need to. With his contract expiring after the 2023 season Henry will have to show what makes him one of, if not, the best running back in the NFL if the Titans are to make the playoffs and if he is going to get another big contract.
2023 Breakout player – Treylon Burks
While the Titans are going to have to run the attack through the run game to go deep in 2023, that will open up opportunities for the receiving weapons. DeAndre Hopkins has been brought in to up the ante, but it is Treylon Burks who needs to have a breakout season in 2023.
With 444 yards and 1 touchdown in 2022, Burks showed flashes but didn’t quite put together an accomplished season. Built as the successor to A.J. Brown, Burks entered the 2022 season with unrealistic expectations put on him as a rookie. With Hopkins to learn from Burks is set to be more of a focal point in 2023
Season Expectations
The Titans had been a perennial playoff team and a dead cert to win the AFC South for so long, partly due to a lackluster division. Now the Jaguars have emerged as the Champions elect of the AFC South and the Colts and Texans are building around rookie quarterbacks.
The Titans 2023 roster has the makings of an ageing group that is desperate for some young talent to emerge. If it doesn’t, then the Titans may be looking to tear this thing down and go through a major surgical rebuild.
It is right to be dubious about the Titans’ chances in 2023, while the defence has established veterans in Simmons, Key and Byard and the offence has Henry, Tannehill and Hopkins, there is a real lack of recognised and endorsed talent to be excited about. This team will be hoping for a playoff push but it is right to be hesitant on just how good this Titans team will be in 2023.