NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans' 2025 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Wednesday.
Titans coach Brian Callahan and rookie quarterback Cam Ward will get an early test when they travel to Denver to face the Broncos in the season opener. Denver's defense was among the best in the league last season.
Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson's pass defense will square up against some of the league's top passers in Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert and Brock Purdy. The defense will get pushed to the limit in the home opener when they face Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams' high-scoring offense in Week 2.
Here's what's in store for the Titans:
Titans 2025 regular-season schedule
Week 1: Sept. 7 at Denver Broncos
Week 2: Sept. 14 vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week 3: Sept. 21 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 4: Sept. 28 at Houston Texans
Week 5: Oct. 05 at Arizona Cardinals
Week 6: Oct. 12 at Las Vegas Raiders
Week 7: Oct. 19vs. New England Patriots
Week 8: Oct. 26 at Colts
Week 9: Nov. 2 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: Nov. 16 vs. Texans
Week 12: Nov. 23 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 13: Nov. 30 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 14: Dec. 7 at Cleveland Browns
Week 15: TBD at San Francisco 49ers
Week 16: Dec. 21 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 17: Dec. 28 vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 18: TBD at Jaguars
*Date for Weeks 15 and 18 are to be determined
Strength of schedule: The Titans have the fourth-easiest schedule in the league (opponents had a .450 winning percentage in 2024).
Over/Under: 5.5 wins
Biggest takeaway
This season's schedule is another year of minimal prime-time games, but worse -- as the Titans don't have any games under the lights. This comes after Tennessee had one prime-time matchup last season, one fewer than 2023 when they faced the Steelers on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 9 and the Dolphins on "Monday Night Football" in Week 14. If Ward can work some magic on the field, the Titans could gain a prime-time game later in the season by being flexed to a "Sunday Night Football" game or to a Saturday game.
Circle this date
Former Titans coach Mike Vrabel returns to Nissan Stadium with the Patriots in Week 7 for what will be one of Tennessee's most anticipated games of the year. Titans controlling owner Amy Adams-Strunk would like nothing more than to beat Vrabel, who she fired after serving as coach from 2018 to 2023 in Tennessee. Callahan's future beyond 2025 would get a boost with a win over New England. The matchup will also feature the return to Nashville for outside linebacker Harold Landry III among other former Titans players and coaches.
Key stretch
Weeks 3-8 will be a critical stretch for the Titans because they'll have three games against AFC South opponents in those five weeks. They start by hosting the Colts at Nissan Stadium on Sept. 21 and face the Texans at Houston the following week. Two cross-country trips to Arizona and Las Vegas precede what will be an emotional game against Vrabel's Patriots in Nashville. Tennessee finishes the stretch when it travels to Indianapolis on Oct. 26.
Bold prediction
The Titans will win both of their back-to-back trips to the West Coast in October. The first win will come in a clash of No.1 picks when Ward leads the Titans over Kyler Murray's Cardinals. The second one will be over the Raiders in Las Vegas. That will put the Titans at 3-3 heading into their match up with New England in Week 7.
What will Cam Ward's breakout game be?
Ward's best opportunity for a breakout game will be in Week 8 against the Colts. Indianapolis will be the first defense that Ward sees twice, and it comes a little over a month after facing the Colts for the first time on Sept. 21. The Colts' secondary was 26th in the league last year in passing yards allowed (229.4), but they added veteran cornerback Charvarius Ward. Things should start to slow down for Cam Ward halfway into the season while facing a familiar opponent.