Titans named 'winners' after 2026 NFL schedule release

Now that the NFL regular season schedule is official and the initial wave of emotion has passed, it’s a great time to take a step back and break it down as a whole.

Yes, there is some disappointment in Nashville because, for a second consecutive season, the Tennessee Titans were shut out from primetime games. While there is still an outside chance to see a late-season matchup flexed into primetime, especially with how the schedule is laid out in the final weeks, the Titans will have to earn it.

But even with that disappointment, those within the organization and the fans have reason to be excited about the balanced hand they were dealt, leading Garrett Podell of CBS Sports to name them one of the big winners after the schedule release.

Winner: Tennessee Titans

Normally, one wouldn't see a team with zero primetime games in the winners section of this piece. However, the Tennessee Titans earn a spot in the winner's circle of the 2026 schedule release because they have perhaps the most comfortable schedule in the NFL. The league's schedule makers provided the Titans with a full week of rest before every game, a bye exactly halfway through the season in Week 9, and all but one game played in or within an hour of their home time zone. Tennessee's road game at the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16 in the Pacific Time Zone is the only game multiple time zones away from Central Time.

That's about as cushy a schedule, from a logistical standpoint, as any NFL team could have.

For a team that is in the middle of a rebuild, the Titans' schedule could be a benefit as they attempt to build confidence and get back on track. With winnable matchups early and some high-profile games late, they could be in a place to take a step forward.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans named 'winners' after 2026 NFL schedule release