NASHVILLE – It's game week.
After months of preparation, the Titans kick off the 2025 season on Sunday at the Denver Broncos.
The Titans say they're ready.
"Everybody is excited, ready to play real football, ready for it to count," running back Tony Pollard said. "(We're) ready to hit somebody else, go against somebody else. You get tired of going against the same guy for so long. So, we're just ready to go out there and compete."
"We're ready, we have to be ready – September 7th is the game," receiver Calvin Ridley added. "The game is coming, and we've been practicing against two other teams, ourselves. It's time to play football."
The Titans, coming off a 3-14 season, face challenge right out of the gate in Denver, a team that finished 10-7 in 2024, and made the playoffs.
The Titans enter the season with a new quarterback – first overall pick Cam Ward – and a reshaped offensive line, and receiving corps.
The defense has plenty of new faces as well, same with special teams.
In Denver, they'll face a defense that allowed just 18.3 ppg in 2024 (3rd in NFL) while racking up 63 sacks (1st) and 134 quarterback hits (1st). The Broncos had a 37.4 QB pressure pct in 2024, which ranked 3rd in the league.
Titans linebacker Cody Barton, who played for the Broncos last season, knows the challenge facing Ward, and the Titans offense.
"It will be a good challenge," Barton said. "What made them good (in 2024) was the rush, it was the biggest factor, I think. If you're getting pressure on the QB, it is tough for the QB. … It's going to be a great challenge for Cam, and I am excited to see him go play hard and do his thing.
"The stuff we gave him here during camp, all the looks we gave him, all the pressure we gave him, especially for a rookie he has handled it well. He's a baller."
In three preseason games, Ward completed 10-of-19 passes for 145 yards, with a 77.9 passer rating and a 52.6 completion percentage. He also worked in joint practices against the Buccaneers and Falcons.
Ward is the eighth quarterback selected No.1 overall in the last 10 NFL Drafts. Baker Mayfield is the only such QB to win more than five games as a rookie (6-7 in 2018).
Leading up to the season, Ward has expressed confidence.
His teammates have confidence in him as well.
We're now just six days away.
"We'll see when the lights come on in Denver," Ridley said. "I think he's ready, man. He's a confident guy, had everything thrown at him. It's time to make it real."
