The Tennessee Titans are set to kick off the final season at Nissan Stadium on Sunday when the New York Jets come to Nashville for Week 1 of the 2026 season.
In a game between two rebuilding franchises, this should be an early-season test of where each organization stands in its rebuild. Both teams finished 3-14 in 2025 and made significant changes heading into 2026, and they'll be looking to get off to a fast start.
Let's take a look at the top five storylines in the Titans and Jets Week 1 matchup.
The impact of Robert Saleh facing his former team
For many, this game was circled on the schedule as soon as general manager Mike Borgonzi hired Saleh to be the Titans' head coach. Saleh got his first chance at being an NFL head coach with the Jets and held the top job from 2021 to 2024, finishing
with a 20-36 record. Even though not all of the issues in New York weren’t all of Saleh’s doing, he was fired early in the 2024 season (ironically, with the Jets tied for the division lead).
While Saleh has downplayed this matchup throughout the offseason, it is only natural to expect extra motivation this week and a ready Titans team.
Will Cedric Gray be available?
The week did not start off the way the Titans would have planned when starting linebacker Cedric Gray was placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol stemming from a UTV accident over Labor Day weekend. Gray plays an integral role on the Titans’ new defense, and if he can’t go, it could cause some problems for the unit.
Saleh said there was a chance Gray could clear protocol and be available, but the ascending linebacker did not practice Wednesday, and there was no word on whether or not that would change on Thursday.
What’s Breece Hall’s status?
Hall suffered a groin issue during training camp, which was expected to keep him out 2-3 weeks and set him up to return in the season opener. During his weekly press availability, head coach Aaron Glenn said Hall was trending toward playing against the Titans. The Jets did not practice on Wednesday, but Hall was labeled as a full participant on their first injury report.
Groin injuries can be tricky, especially for explosive running backs like Hall, making this a situation to monitor heading into Week 1.
Hall’s return would help boost the Jets’ offense against the Titans’ defense, which could be without leading tackler Cedric Gray. While no indication has been given on who will replace Gray if he can’t go, expect James Williams and rookie Anthony Hill Jr. to take increased snaps.
Old home week
There is more than Robert Saleh making his Titans debut against the Jets this week, with multiple players sharing the same motivation. Tennessee added multiple players, all slated to take on important roles in 2026. The Titans added Solomon Thomas, Jermaine Johnson II, Tony Adams, John Franklin-Myers, and Jacob Martin, who made the final 53-man roster, and also have Jalyn Holmes, Michael Carter, and Isaiah Oliver on the practice squad.
On the flip side, Jarvis Browlee and T’Vondre Sweat will be returning to Nashville for the first time since being traded to the Jets.
Honoring a legend
At halftime of the opener, the Titans will honor one of their All-Time greats when the organization inducts former star running back Chris Johnson into the Titans’ Ring of Honor. Johnson spent six incredible seasons with Tennessee, including a magical season when he became one of nine running backs to record more than 2,000 rushing yards in a single season.
While the organization's leadership and players have joined many across the world in completing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge following the announcement of his tragic diagnosis, inducting him into the Ring of Honor is long overdue, and on Sunday, the Titans will forever etch his name into the organization's history.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans vs. New York Jets: 5 storylines to watch
