Titans president awkwardly scoffed at puzzling Super Bowl roster question
With No. 1 overall pick quarterback Cam Ward in the fold, the Tennessee Titans might have a bright future. For now, though, they're obviously in the early stages of a rebuild, as anyone closely paying attention can see. In fact, they're not really being all that subtle about their intentions on establishing a quality organizational foundation for a little while before they're prepared to contend again.
Someone did not pass along this memo to a reporter who attended the Titans' opening press conference of training camp on Tuesday.
To close media availability, someone asked Titans president Chad Brinker and general manager Mike Borgonzi whether the Tennessee team that would hit the practice field in the coming weeks was good enough to ... compete for Super Bowl 60???
Naturally, the Titans are nowhere close to playing for a Lombardi Trophy. Let's not kid ourselves. And to their credit, they're not lying to themselves. They know this fact very well. They're not operating on that sort of timeline. Not in the least.
But that didn't stop Brinker from scoffing at the mere hint of Super Bowl contention any time soon. Judging by Borgonzi's frozen reaction next to him, it's probably safe to assume both gentlemen did not expect to hear a question concerned with such lofty expectations for a still-developing roster that earned last year's top draft selection:
It's not often you see such candidness from NFL front office people. People in Brinker's and Borgonzi's positions usually like to keep things close to the vest for a good reason. That's what makes Brinker's momentary slip here so amusing. Being asked about this Titans roster competing for a Super Bowl was so surprising that Brinker couldn't help but show his full hand for once, even for a few seconds.
In case it wasn't already clear, the Titans are rebuilding. They're trying to develop a young quarterback. Any other 2025 goals are ancillary, a bonus, and likely highly unrealistic.
When was the last time the Titans competed for a Super Bowl?
It wasn't that long ago, now that you ask!
The peak of the Mike Vrabel era saw the Titans make a run all the way to the 2020 AFC title game, where they eventually lost to Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs. At one point in the game, the Titans even held a double-digit lead before the Chiefs stormed back to take full control in a resounding victory. This version of Tennessee would make the playoffs a couple more times in ensuing seasons, but it couldn't get out of the first round on either occasion.
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