NASHVILLE -- When Robert Saleh took over as head coach of the Tennessee Titans for the 2026 season, he inherited a roster in transition. But if his approach to the preseason is any indication, the first-year Titans boss isn't interested in easing into anything.
Saleh is doing something that has become increasingly rare in today's NFL: holding joint practices with all three of Tennessee's preseason opponents. That means before the Titans ever take the field for a game that counts, they'll spend significant practice time squaring off against three different teams in a controlled but competitive environment.
It's a scheduling quirk that some coaches might view as a logistical headache. Saleh sees it as an opportunity.
"These are invaluable reps," Saleh said during a recent press conference, according to team beat reporters who have covered his comments since the schedule release. "You're not just going against your own guys every day. You're seeing different schemes, different body types, different competition levels. It tells you a lot about your football team."
For a head coach who has been known for his aggressive, attacking defensive philosophy throughout his career, the strategy makes perfect sense. Saleh wants to see what his roster is made of -- and he wants to do it long before the regular season kicks off.
A Rare Three-Peat in Joint Practice Scheduling
Most NFL teams schedule one or two joint practices during training camp. A few opt for none at all, preferring to keep everything in-house. But joint practices with every single preseason opponent? That's a different animal entirely.
The Titans' 2026 preseason schedule lines up perfectly for Saleh's vision. Tennessee will open the exhibition season at home, and each of the three preseason contests will include joint practice components with the respective opponents.
The logic is straightforward: every practice rep against another team is a valuable data point. Saleh and general manager Mike Borgonzi are still in the process of evaluating this roster from top to bottom. The Titans have undergone significant turnover in recent years, and this training camp will be critical in determining which players fit the new coaching staff's vision.
Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley each bring distinct schematic identities. Daboll's offense requires precision timing and route discipline. Bradley's defense is built on gap integrity and assignment football. Both systems benefit immensely from live, competitive work against unfamiliar opponents.
Joint practices provide that without the injury risk that comes with full game speed -- though collisions still happen. They also allow coaches to install specific situational work. Want to work on two-minute offense with the clock running? You can set that up in a joint practice. Need to see how your young defensive backs handle a particular route concept? Call it up against a team that runs it well.
Roster Evaluation at the Core
Take a look at the Titans' current roster, and it is easy to understand why Saleh wants as many evaluation opportunities as possible.
The quarterback room features Will Levis and the newly acquired Cam Ward, along with veterans Hendon Hooker and Mitchell Trubisky. That's a competition that needs reps -- and not just against the same defensive backs who see these throws every day in practice. Levis has shown flashes of high-level play but has struggled with consistency. Ward arrived with significant hype but has yet to prove himself at the NFL level. Both quarterbacks need to face different defensive looks to truly be evaluated.
At wide receiver, the Titans boast Calvin Ridley and Wan'Dale Robinson as established talents, but the depth chart behind them is filled with intriguing but unproven names. Xavier Restrepo and Elic Ayomanor are young pass catchers who could benefit from the extra live work. K.J. Osborn brings veteran savvy, but the Titans need to figure out who will earn targets when games matter.
The running back room is similarly deep. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears form a dynamic one-two punch, but Michael Carter, Julius Chestnut, Kalel Mullings, and Nicholas Singleton are all vying for roster spots and touches. Joint practices allow the coaching staff to see how these backs handle blitz pickup and route running against different defensive coordinators' schemes.
Defensively, the Titans have star power in Jeffery Simmons and young edge rushers like Jermaine Johnson II. But the secondary is still being constructed. Cornerbacks Alontae Taylor, Marcus Harris, and Joshua Williams need to build chemistry with safeties Amani Hooker and Kevin Winston Jr. The more live reps they get, the better.
Every joint practice is essentially a tryout. For the players on the roster bubble -- and there are plenty -- these practices could be the difference between making the 53-man roster and looking for work elsewhere.
The Competitive Edge
There's also a psychological component to Saleh's approach. Joint practices have a way of raising the intensity level. When the Titans practice against themselves, there's a natural tendency to pull punches -- nobody wants to injure a teammate. But when another team shows up in your facility, the competitive juices start flowing.
Coaches love that edge. They want to see which players rise to the occasion when they're going against someone wearing a different jersey. They want to see who gets flagged for unnecessary roughness and who keeps their composure. They want to see who catches the ball in traffic when a defensive back from another team is trying to rip it out.
Saleh has been around enough winning organizations to know that culture isn't built in a vacuum. It's forged in competition. By scheduling three joint practices, he's creating multiple forging opportunities.
Managing Risk
Of course, there's a downside. Joint practices come with inherent risk. Every snap against another team carries the possibility of injury, and preseason injuries can be debilitating -- especially for a team still trying to establish its identity.
Saleh and his staff will need to manage that risk carefully. The Titans' medical and training personnel will be on high alert during every joint session. Practice periods will be monitored for fatigue. Contact levels can be dialed up or down depending on the situation.
But Saleh seems to have calculated that the reward outweighs the risk. For a head coach in his first season with a new franchise, the ability to accelerate the evaluation process is invaluable. Every rep, every drill, every 11-on-11 period is a chance to learn something about his team.
The Titans haven't made the playoffs in recent memory. The organization is in the middle of a retool -- perhaps even a full rebuild depending on how you define the term. Saleh and Borgonzi are building something from the ground up. They need information. They need evaluation data. They need to know which players can help them win and which ones can't.
Three joint practices won't answer every question. But they'll provide a lot more answers than three vanilla practices against the same teammates.
The Bigger Picture
This is the kind of story that doesn't make national headlines. There's no blockbuster trade, no massive contract extension, no draft-day drama. But for the Titans, it matters. It matters a lot.
Coaching philosophy is about the accumulation of small advantages. A better practice schedule. More competitive reps. Faster evaluation of talent. Smarter roster construction. Saleh's joint practice approach is a conscious choice to chase those advantages.
By the time the regular season arrives, the Titans will have gone through a training camp unlike any other in recent franchise history. They'll have faced three different opponents before ever playing a game that counts. They'll have revealed more about themselves -- their strengths, their weaknesses, their mental toughness -- than most teams do in an entire preseason.
Whether that translates into wins remains to be seen. The roster is still a work in progress. The coaching staff is still installing its systems. The AFC South is competitive and unforgiving.
But one thing is already clear: Robert Saleh is coaching his way. He's not concerned with convention or tradition. He's looking for an edge however he can find it.
Three joint practices is an oddity in today's NFL. It might also be exactly what the Tennessee Titans need.