​Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears believes this season could be the turning point for his team. “We have a new logo, and we’ve got a lot of new things around here, so we’re going to have a winning record this year,” Spears told senior writer and editor Jim Wyatt. If his prediction comes to pass, it would mark a dramatic shift from what the Titans have shown over the past several seasons. In the last four years, Tennessee has gone 19-49, posting four straight years with double-digit losses. In the past two seasons, the Titans finished 3-14 in each campaign.
Spears’ confidence in a rebound likely hinges on a strong start, especially with Week 1 looming against the New York Jets at home. Vegas Insider has the Titans as a three-point favorite in that season opener. Both teams come into the matchup with similar narratives, and a victory in Week 1 could set the tone for 2026.
Last season, Jets fans were also eyeing the Week 1 clash as a potential spark, given their own 3-14 finish in 2025. The Jets’ outlook for the new season hinges on turning the page after a disappointing 2024. The Week 1 result will carry extra weight for Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who faced questions after New York briefly flirted with coaching uncertainty following the 2024 season. They eventually replaced him after letting him go in 2024, with Aaron Glenn taking over, and the Jets will be keen to avoid handing a reminder of that history to their former regime.
In the past, quarterbacks have benefited from a strong running game, and Tennessee believes it has a capable duo in its backfield. “We’ll decide that as time goes, but those two complement each other very, very well,” Saleh noted to Wyatt earlier this offseason. “They’re both really, really good on third down. I remember studying last year—you’re not beating Tony [Pollard] one-on-one in a protection system. The guy’s an elite blocker, and he’s also really good out of the backfield. And Tyj, with his route-running ability, is strong in that area. They do a really nice job of complementing one another. So, like I said, we’ll figure all that out as time goes, but both are really good.”
The Jets were notably poor against the run last year, and they hope a new addition can help reverse that trend. For Titans fans, a familiar name at nose tackle provides a sense of continuity and a potential advantage, underscoring the broader goal of improving the running game and establishing momentum early in the season.