The Tennessee Titans may have finished with a dismal 3-14 record in the 2025 regular season, but they showed some potential at the end of the season and played some of their best football in the final weeks. Unfortunately, while their performances improved, their lack of depth across the roster was exposed as the season wore on and injuries mounted, and it was too much for the team to overcome.
Although the season was a disappointment, all was not a disaster. Jeffery Simmons dominated and proved to be one of, if not the best, defensive tackles in the NFL. The rookie class, led by Cam Ward, flashed potential from top to bottom and gained valuable experience throughout the season.
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All was not positive, though; the offensive line play was uneven, the team was undisciplined, and an overall lack of playmakers limited production, especially early in the season, which led to Brian Callahan’s firing.
Titans Wire covered the disappointments on Thursday, and today we will turn our attention to the six biggest surprises of the 2025 season.
Rookie Pro Bowler Chimere Dike
When he was selected in the fourth round, no one knew what to expect, and many even questioned the pick. But Dike proved all the doubters wrong and became an all-purpose machine. Dike broke Tim Brown’s NFL record for all-purpose yardage by a rookie set in 1988, and was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie after leading the NFL in all-purpose yards.
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An explosive return man, he also flashed big-play potential as a wideout. While there is still room for growth as a receiver, like Cam Ward and the rest of the offense, he would benefit from a true top wide receiver opposite him.
Cedric Gray’s ascension
The Titans opened training camp with significant questions at inside linebacker, and Cedric Gray more than exceeded expectations in 2025. The Titans’ leading tackler came into his own in his first season as a starter and ended the season looking more like a building block than a question mark.
Even after missing a game with a concussion, Gray finished the season with a staggering 164 total tackles (97 solo) and added a sack and a fumble recovery.
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JC Latham’s regression
After returning to what was believed to be his natural right tackle position and entering training camp in tremendous shape, Latham struggled to get going and was plagued by injuries and penalties all season, leaving fans to wonder if he was over-drafted when the Titans selected him seventh-overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Jarvis Brownlee trade
Early in the season, Tennessee traded Jarvis Brownlee to the New York Jets, a move widely questioned. Now that the season has wrapped, those questions still exist. Tennessee was already thin at cornerback when the move was made, and the unit took a significant hit from his departure.
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Young cornerbacks are at a premium in the league, and Brownlee flashed potential as a rookie in 2024. Giving up on him early in his career was a surprise. While those outside the organization may never know what transpired, it truly was one of the most surprising moments of the season.
Brian Callahan and the Titans were gifted a victory against the Cardinals in a game that ended unlike any in recent memory. Between a fumble out of the end zone on a breakaway run and recovering a fumble in the end zone for a score, the game was an incredible fluke and a fitting way for Callahan to get his final win as a head coach.
Jeffery Simmons’ dominance
Simmons’ dominance was on display every week, and the veteran defensive tackle had a career season, proving to be the most valuable member of the organization. Simmons set career-highs in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles, while leading the NFL in multiple categories.
Simmons was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for December and to the Pro Bowl, and should be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.
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This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans: 6 biggest surprises from 2025 NFL season
