It’s schedule release week in the NFL world, a spectacle that the league manages to make bigger and bigger each year.

How on earth do they milk the mere announcement of upcoming dates for over a week’s worth of television, radio, and written content? How do they manage to get us so excited about the order in which our favorite team is playing the teams we’ve known for months already they’ll be playing?

Because this is NFL football, baby. The shield can do anything and you’ll sit down to watch it. They’re the masters of ratings. They own America’s attention, and frankly, we’re happy to give it to them. Like it or not, the NFL is king. And there may be no greater flex of that fact than schedule release week.

So in anticipation of the official release on Wednesday at 7:00pm CST, here are three Tennessee Titans schedule predictions:

Titans Face Colts In Week 1

If you try to hold me to this… don't. This is not a firmly sourced insider take of mine. It is merely an educated guess. Here is why I think Titans-Colts could be the season opener.

I've heard through the grapevine that the Indianapolis Colts are internally preparing for the Titans as a potential first opponent. perhaps this is because they just expect the league office to match them up with a division rival in Week 1 every year at this point. Don't ask me why, but the Colts have opened with a divisional game in 4 of the past 5 seasons; twice against the Jaguars and twice against the Texans. So a Titans matchup is due!

It's also potentially notable that the first two Week 1 games confirmed by the league are divisional matchups. There are always a handful of divisional games on opening weekend, but perhaps this year the league is going heavy on rivalry games out of the gate.

Cam Ward in Primetime Twice

How many primetime games did we get? That's the first thing most fans look for when the schedule is dropped. For the Titans, most folks understand the drill. Even when they were a hot commodity and a real contender in the AFC during the height of the Vrabel years, they were never getting the primetime exposure many fans felt they deserved. And after falling off a cliff since then, nobody is surprised by the lack of primetime love.

The 2023 Titans got 2 primetime slots. In Brian Callahan's first year, the 2024 Titans played just 1 primetime game. But with the no. 1 overall pick in Cam Ward on the roster, surely they'll get more exposure… right?

Wrong. Or at least, wrong I think. First of all, consider the most popular Titans narrative since selecting Cam Ward: "why isn't anybody talking about the Titans and Cam Ward?!" From a national perspective, I'm fairly certain there's been more talking about the lack of Cam Ward coverage than actual Cam Ward coverage. That's a harbinger of primetime slots to come, I'm afraid.

Additionally, recent top QB picks haven't exactly been shown the primetime love either. In 2024, Caleb Williams played in 3. Jayden Daniels got 2, and Drake Maye got 1. The 2023 class of QBs got even less love: Bryce Young was given 2, but CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson got none!

With this history in mind, I'm going to say the Titans get 2 primetime slots for the 1st overall pick. And if it happened to be just 1, I can't really say I'd be surprised.

Titans Rematch with Mike Vrabel in Primetime

So who will they face in primetime? I think one of (or perhaps their only) primetime opponents will be the Patriots. Why? Because it's such a spicy matchup.

Mike Vrabel is headed back to town to face the team that canned him less than 2 years prior. He's bringing with him a burgeoning franchise QB in Drake Maye and a revamped Patriots roster. In the one season since his departure, the Titans have played worse football than they ever did under his control. Some might point to the damage done to the roster during the end of his reign as the reason why things were so bad after he left, but the fact remains.

No matter when this game is played, the atmosphere is bound to be tight. The Titans are headed up by an owner in Amy Adams-Strunk who clearly likes to lean in to the emotional, personal elements of a grudge match. This has played out many times in recent seasons, from multiple installments in the Houston rivalry to the AJ Brown game in Philadelphia which ended up being the final straw for GM Jon Robinson's employment.

Amy was the one who made the decision to fire Vrabel. If he comes into her house with his new team and embarrasses them, it's bound to be deeply embarrassing to her. Titans players and coaches the week of the game will say repeatedly that they aren't worried about the narrative element of the game. But deep down, we know they will be. Because they'll wonder if it's on Amy's mind. The stakes in this one are just going to feel higher, no matter what. So why not put it in front of the nation in a standalone game? Cam Ward vs. Drake Maye. Brian Callahan vs. Mike Vrabel. Get your popcorn ready.

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