The 2020 season was the Tennessee Titans' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 61st overall, their 24th in the state of Tennessee, and their third under head coach Mike Vrabel. After starting the season 5–0, their first since the 2008 season, the Titans improved upon their 9–7 season from the previous 4 years and earned their first double-digit winning season and division title since 2008. The Titans finished tied with the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC South division title, but won the tiebreaker based on record vs. division opponents (5–1 to 4–2). In the Wild Card Round, the Titans blew a 10–0 lead and were upset by Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens, 20–13.
Titans running back and Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Derrick Henry rushed for 2,000 yards in 2020, making him the second Tennessee Titan to do so, after Chris Johnson; this also made the Titans the first team in league history to have multiple members in the 2,000-yard club.
Offseason
Coaching changes
Titans defensive coordinator Dean Pees retired on January 20, 2020, after spending the last two seasons with the team. On the same day, it was announced that secondary coach Kerry Coombs would be leaving to rejoin the coaching staff at Ohio State. On January 28, 2020, the Titans hired Anthony Midget to replace Coombs as secondary coach. On February 6, 2020, former New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams head coach Jim Haslett was hired to be the inside linebackers coach for the Titans. Head coach Mike Vrabel decided not to hire a defensive coordinator for the season. Following the Titans' 20–13 defeat against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, Vrabel revealed that outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen was defensive coordinator in all but title, and that Bowen made the defensive play calls.
Roster changes
Reserve/future free agent contracts
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Free agents
Departures
Draft
Undrafted free agents
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Staff
Final roster
Team captains
Ryan Tannehill (QB) Derrick Henry (RB) DaQuan Jones (NT) Kevin Byard (FS) Brett Kern (P)
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Preseason
The Titans' preseason schedule was announced on May 7, but was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regular season
Schedule
The Titans' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7.
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Denver Broncos
Week 2: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 3: at Minnesota Vikings
Stephen Gostkowski kicked a career-high 6 field goals, including 3 from 50+ yards, as the Titans would win another close game against the Vikings.
Week 5: vs. Buffalo Bills
The Titans ended an unplanned two-week hiatus and a three-game losing streak to the Bills, their most recent previous win coming in a 35-34 win at Buffalo in 2012. Ryan Tannehill exceeded 100 in passer rating (129.3) for the second time to date in the season.
Week 6: vs. Houston Texans
The former Houston Oilers reached 5-0 for the second time in club history in what to that point was the highest-scoring (78 combined points) and most competitive game in their sibling-esque rivalry with the present day NFL club of Houston. Behind four Deshaun Watson scores, the Texans erased an early 14-point deficit to lead 36-29 late in the fourth quarter, but Ryan Tannehill completed eight straight passes, ending in a seven-yard touchdown to A. J. Brown, to tie the game in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. In overtime, the Titans advanced 82 yards on six plays and Derrick Henry scored on a direct snap play to win the game 42–36. The Titans' 607 total yards of offense were the most of any team all season.
Week 7: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The game was originally scheduled for Sunday, October 4 at 1:00 p.m. but was postponed due to the Titans and Minnesota Vikings suspending in-person team activities due to several positive COVID-19 tests from Tennessee in the aftermath of the Titans–Vikings game.
The Titans rallied back after falling behind 27–7, scoring 17 unanswered points in the 3rd and 4th quarters. However, with 19 seconds left in the 4th quarter, kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed what would have been a game-tying 45-yard field goal to send the game into overtime, sealing the Titans' first loss of the season and extending their losing streak against the Steelers to three games, dating back to Week 11 of the 2014 season.
Week 8: at Cincinnati Bengals
The Titans suffered their fifth loss to the Bengals in nine meetings since the two teams were split out of the former AFC Central in 2002.