SANTA CLARA, CA – It's time to gauge just how good the Tennessee Titans are with a joint practice against the San Francisco 49ers on the Niners' home turf. Practice is scheduled to begin around noon CT in Santa Clara, and The Tennessean will be on hand to provide updates, observations and analysis.
Coach Robert Saleh's squad will take the practice field against his former team for one combined practice before the teams meet up on Aug. 13 for a preseason game. The game gets the TV attention, but the joint practice is where the real work gets done. Unlike preseason games where likely starters get five or 10 snaps to get in rhythm, joint practices are full work days of best on best, giving the Titans the opportunity to test their progress against one of the best teams in the NFC.
For Titans quarterback Cam Ward, this is a chance to show off the progress he's made developing chemistry with receivers Carnell Tate, Wan'Dale Robinson and Calvin Ridley. For the new-look Titans defense, it's an opportunity to slow down the 49ers' battery of skill position talent that, when at full strength, includes RB Christian McCaffery, WRs Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel and Christian Kirk and TE George Kittle.
Evans and Kirk have been dealing with injuries throughout camp and Kittle is still recovering from an Achilles injury sustained at the end of last season. Star DE Nick Bosa has also missed time. On the Titans side, defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers has missed back-to-back practices with a lower back ailment.
Follow along below with live updates and analysis from Santa Clara.
Titans vs 49ers joint practice live updates: News, analysis, injuries, depth charts and more
Practice is scheduled to begin at roughly noon CT, 10 a.m. on the west coast.
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Titans position battles, checking in
At the beginning of camp, we proposed five position battles that would define Titans preseason. Here's a check-in on their progress:
Right guard: Still a competition. No one's got a real answer between Cordell Volson, Jackson Slater and rookie Fernando Carmona Jr., but we might've been too quick to rule Carmona out.
Center: Wasn't really a competition then and isn't really a competition now. Barring injury, the Titans' center will be Austin Schlottmann.
Linebacker: There's plenty of competition for the No. 3 backer spot, but in a base nickel, Cody Barton and Cedric Gray seem safe.
Swing tackle: Not much has changed here. Austin Deculus and Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson are in a fairly even split.
Defensive end: Jacob Martin is still the favorite to start, but Femi Oladejo is starting to emerge as a real playmaker. It's Keldric Faulk's job to lose long-term, but Oladejo is making it interesting.
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Who's going to make the Titans' roster? Here's your primer
The Tennessean ran the numbers and found roughly 40 players on roster vying for about a dozen unclaimed roster spots. Barring injury and trades, these are the players for whom training camp will matter the most. Click here to understand the stakes.
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Titans depth chart projection 2026
Heading into training camp, here's The Tennessean's projection for what the starters and backups should look like when the Titans' season starts on Sept. 13:
- QB: Cam Ward | Mitchell Trubisky
- RB: Tony Pollard | Tyjae Spears
- WR: Carnell Tate, Calvin Ridley, Wan'Dale Robinson | Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike
- TE: Gunnar Helm | Daniel Bellinger
- OT: Dan Moore Jr., JC Latham | Austin Deculus
- OG: Peter Skoronski, Cordell Volson | Jackson Slater
- C: Austin Schlottmann | Pat Coogan
- DL: Jeffery Simmons, John Franklin-Myers | Jordan Elliott, Solomon Thomas
- DE: Jermaine Johnson II, Keldric Faulk | Jacob Martin, Oluwafemi Oladejo
- LB: Cody Barton, Cedric Gray | Anthony Hill
- CB: Alontae Taylor, Cor'Dale Flott, Marcus Harris | Joshua Williams
- S: Kevin Winston Jr., Amani Hooker | Tony Adams
- ST: Joey Slye, Tommy Townsend, Morgan Cox
Titans position battles: What to know
Consider these the five most premium position battles:
Right guard: Cordell Volson is the veteran. Jackson Slater and Fernando Carmona are the homegrown youth options. None of these feel like great options, but it'll be interesting to see who surprises coaches and fans alike.
Center: This doesn't feel like as much of a competition with the way Austin Schlottmann handled the job in OTAs, but Pat Coogan's presence and the signing of Andre James makes it something nonetheless.
Linebacker: Will Anthony Hill be able to push Cody Barton for a starting role from the jump? It's possible, even if it's not super likely.
Swing tackle: Especially with JC Latham starting the year on PUP, it'll be worth monitoring how Austin Deculus, Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Zach Thomas, Aamil Wagner and Rasheed Miller compete for playing time as the No. 3 tackle.
Defensive end: It's no foregone conclusion that Keldric Faulk starts off the edge with Jacob Martin, Jaylen Harrell, Femi Oladejo and more pushing for roles. Consider it Faulk's job to lose, though.
Titans coaching staff 2026
As a refresher, here's the staff:
- Head coach: Robert Saleh
- Offensive coordinator: Brian Daboll
- Defensive coordinator: Gus Bradley
- Special teams coordinator: John Fassel
- Offensive assistants: Shea Tierney (QBs), Randy Jordan (RBs), Greg Lewis (WRs), Luke Stocker (TEs), Carmen Bricillo (OL), Cade Knox (game management), Isaac Williams (asst. OL), Trevor Browder (off. asst.), John Rudnicki (off. asst)
- Defensive assistants: Aaron Whitecotton (DL), Dave Borgonzi (LBs), Tony Oden (CBs), Dalton Hilliard (nickels), Marquand Manuel (SAFs), Ben Bloom (senior def. asst.), Tanzel Smart (asst. DL), Ahmed Saleh (def. asst.)
- Special teams: Rayna Stewart (asst. ST)
Titans' preseason schedule, training camp schedule
The Titans are scheduled to practice 16 times in training camp, starting on July 29. Eight of those practices are scheduled to be open for fans, with the first on Aug. 1. The Titans will hold their three joint practices on Aug. 11 (at SF), Aug. 21 (vs. SEA) and Aug. 27 (vs. CHI).
The Titans' three preseason games are at San Francisco (Aug. 13, 8 p.m. CT), vs. Seattle (Aug. 23, 7 p.m. CT) and vs. Chicago (Aug. 29, 5 p.m. CT).
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans joint practice vs 49ers updates today: Latest stats, news, injuries
