Savannah Bananas celebrate the Tennessee Titans with Cam Ward's Nissan Stadium debut
Savannah Bananas celebrate the Tennessee Titans with Cam Ward's Nissan Stadium debut
Lost in all the hype surrounding the Tennessee Titans' rookie minicamp this weekend, the Savannah Bananas invaded Nissan Stadium and put on a show.
While the Bananas fell to the Party Animals in this installment of the 2025 stadium tour, the sold-out crowd was treated to an entertainment extravaganza and a Titans' surprise.
Titans legend Jevon Kearse was on hand to kick off the festivities with a flex off against the Party Animals' Jake Lialios. Lialios would eventually be named Showman of the Night after a stellar performance on the mound.
While that got the engines of the 70,000 screaming fans started, the Bananas invited the Titans' entire draft class to be introduced alongside the Bananas' starters, which sent the crowd into a frenzy.
All nine of the Titans' draft picks made their way through the tunnel and were introduced at the stadium, but the excitement of watching Cam Ward step onto the field for the first time will likely be one of the best memories of the night.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Vikings Trade Idea Sees J.J. McCarthy Joined by Titans' Will Levis
Vikings Trade Idea Sees J.J. McCarthy Joined by Titans' Will Levis originally appeared on Athlon Sports. This season, the Minnesota Vikings venture into the quarterback unknown. According to data gathered from The Football Database, the average number of career starts rostered per team for the upcoming season is 120 -- bolstered by either a proven starter or a veteran backup supporting a rookie-scale QB on each team. Advertisement The Vikings have neither. With just 22 career starts between all four of their quarterbacks, the Vikings have the second-fewest quarterback starts in the NFL, ahead of only the New Orleans Saints. It's J.J. McCarthy or bust for Minnesota this year after the Vikings watched Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones and Nick Mullens depart in free agency. They declined to sign a veteran quarterback in free agency, instead opting to trade for Sam Howell, whose 5-13 record as a starter is far from encouraging. That has led to some outside consultation suggesting that Minnesota should be in the market to improve the quarterback room before the start of the season. Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy© Brad Rempel-Imagn Images One trade idea floated by Anne Erickson considered the possibility of the Vikings landing 2023 second-round pick Will Levis. Advertisement While Levis has his blemishes, he has more physical talent than Howell, Brett Rypien or rookie Max Brosmer, prompting Erickson to suggest a Day 2 or Day 3 pick could be enough to pry Levis away from the Tennessee Titans. "The Tennessee Titans made a big move and drafted quarterback Cam Ward No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL draft, which says a lot," Erickson wrote. "Will Levis isn't happy about it. So, the Tennessee Titans could trade Levis for a late Day 2 or early Day 3 draft selection." While landing Levis for that price could be a stretch, the Titans may be ready to rid themselves of Levis after they fired the man who drafted him, former general manager Ran Carthon. Considering the three first-round picks the San Francisco 49ers invested to get Trey Lance, only to trade him to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-rounder, it isn't preposterous to consider the Titans offloading Levis for a similar recoup of draft stock. Advertisement Levis is 5-16 as a starter for a struggling Titans organization and could merely need some quarterback rehab from Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell. While the same argument can be made for Howell, Levis has better physical tools that could offer more upside behind McCarthy. Howell could even be considered for a quarterback swap if both teams deem their prospects need a change of scenery. Related: Budding Vikings Star Issues Official Goodbye After Injury Related: Vikings' $21 Million Starter Eyeing Exit After Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fox Sports
17 hours ago
- Fox Sports
How to measure success for Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, other rookie QBs in 2025
Collectively, the latest crop of quarterbacks entering the NFL has drawn little enthusiasm. But that ultimately doesn't matter. Settling into their NFL homes, the QBs have an opportunity to write their own story in the league. All the rookie quarterbacks are starting from square one, though with differing expectations. Here is how a successful 2025 should be measured for each of the first eight quarterbacks taken in the 2025 NFL Draft. Cam Ward Team: Tennessee Titans Round 1, No. 1 overall 2025 goal: start 17 games (flashing star potential) As the top overall selection, Ward is expected to be a franchise-altering quarterback for the Titans. But it could take a few years for him to reach that level, even if he's a "hit." What Jayden Daniels (2024) and C.J. Stroud (2023) did the past two seasons are outliers. If Ward can show an ability to elevate in spurts what appears to be an average supporting cast, display composure in critical moments and limit turnovers, that should be viewed as a win for the Titans. And that should be the case even if Tennessee's record does not reflect a substantial improvement from the team's 3-14 finish in 2024. Jaxson Dart Team: New York Giants Round 1, No. 25 overall 2025 goal: learn by watching; ready to take QB1 reigns in 2026 If all goes according to schedule, Dart won't play meaningful snaps in 2025. Russell Wilson is the starting quarterback for the Giants, who also have Jameis Winston as a capable veteran backup. The best case scenario is that Dart takes in everything he can from them in a "redshirt" year so he's ready to start Day 1 in 2026 — while still being ready to play in 2025 if New York's quarterback plan falls apart. Tyler Shough Team: New Orleans Saints Round 2, No. 40 overall 2025 goal: hold on to starting job In the wake of Derek Carr's retirement, the Saints are saying that they have a quarterback competition between Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. They're splitting first-team reps. But the reality is that Shough should win the job, given the draft investment in him as a second-round pick. So it's paramount that he doesn't give them a reason to think twice about his readiness. Decision-making and ball security will be key for the former Louisville quarterback, like with all rookie passers. Jalen Milroe Team: Seattle Seahawks Round 3, No. 92 overall 2025 goal: win QB2 job; flash promise in specialty role With Sam Darnold being the unquestioned starter in Seattle, Milroe's first goal should be earning the top backup role over Drew Lock, who returned to the Seahawks this offseason on a two-year, $5 million deal. The team has talked about the possibility of playing Milroe a few snaps per game in packages that utilize his rushing ability. If he can bring value there and make steady progress as a passer, the former Alabama standout could be in the mix to start in 2026. Dillon Gabriel Team: Cleveland Browns Round 3, No. 94 overall 2025 goal: become a regular on the gameday roster In Cleveland's crowded quarterback room, which includes 40-year-old Joe Flacco and journeyman Kenny Pickett, Gabriel may have the most roster security as a third-round rookie. But as a Day 2 quarterback, he'll need to show poise and comfort in Kevin Stefanski's system. Even if he's not QB1, Gabriel could get an extensive look if the offense struggles, keeping him in the Browns' quarterback plans moving forward. Shedeur Sanders Team: Cleveland Browns Round 5, No. 144 overall 2025 goal: become a regular on the gameday roster A projected top pick early in the pre-draft process, Sanders' status as a Day 3 pick puts him at the bottom of the Browns' quarterback pecking order to start his career. But he's firmly in the QB1 competition and should stay on the 53-man roster as an early-round talent. Like Gabriel, Sanders earning his way into a regular role on the game-day roster — even as a backup — would cement his place in Cleveland for 2026. Kyle McCord Team: Philadelphia Eagles Round 6, No. 181 overall 2025 goal: win QB2 role While he certainly won't supplant Super Bowl LIX MVP Jalen Hurts as the starter, McCord has an opportunity to fill the top backup quarterback role vacated by Pickett, who was traded to the Browns earlier in the offseason. The FBS leader in completions per game and passing yards in 2024, McCord has competition in Tanner McKee and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who've started a combined six NFL games. Will Howard Team: Pittsburgh Steelers Round 6, No. 185 overall 2025 goal: win QB2 job Now that Aaron Rodgers has signed with Pittsburgh, Howard will compete with Mason Rudolph for the primary backup role. A national champion at Ohio State last season, Howard will have to impress Pittsburgh's coaches to beat out Rudolph, who started 13 games for the Steelers between 2019-23 before playing for Tennessee last season. But there's a scenario in which Howard gets meaningful snaps as a rookie, based on Rodgers' age and Rudolph's low-end potential. Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Axios
17 hours ago
- Axios
Duke faces Texas in new men's college basketball event in Charlotte
The Duke Blue Devils will play the Texas Longhorns this fall at Spectrum Center in the inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational. Why it matters: Duke's men's basketball is one of the country's most prestigious and well-recognized programs in the country. Charlotte Sports Foundation (CSF) and ESPN Events' invitational will be a multiyear deal bringing elite men's basketball to Charlotte. State of play: The neutral-site, regular-season game will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4. It will be broadcast on ESPN. Tip-off is TBD. Zoom in: The Dick Vitale Invitational honors longtime ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale, who turns 86 today, June 9. Vitale has been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Tickets for the game will go on sale closer to the game. Between the lines: CSF now has a men's basketball event and a women's basketball event. The third annual Ally Tipoff will feature the USC Trojans vs. the N.C. State Wolfpack women's basketball teams on Nov. 9 at Spectrum Center. CSF previously hosted the Jumpman Invitational, which featured four programs with Jordan Brand ties. The Jumpman Invitational was a three-year dea l that recently ended. The big picture: The Dick Vitale Invitational is the latest event for CSF, which is coming off a bananas weekend (the Savannah Bananas drew a record 148,000 people at Bank of America Stadium over two games). What they're saying:"Bringing together two powerhouse programs like Texas and Duke is an incredible way to kick off this new tradition," CSF CEO Will Pitts said in a statement. "More importantly, this event celebrates the enduring legacy of Dick Vitale — his passion for college basketball, his advocacy for cancer research, and the joy he brings to fans everywhere."
