This Titans Player is the biggest winner of the RObert Saleh Hire!
Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans officially introduced Robert Saleh as their new head coach on Thursday, meaning a new era of football in Nashville is underway.
Saleh will look to change the culture in Tennessee and revitalize a franchise that has suffered four straight losing seasons and hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2019 season.
Tennessee will be relying on Saleh to bring them back into contention and make them a consistent winner again. Speaking of winners, this Titans defensive player is the BIGGEST WINNER of the Saleh hire.
Beau Brune/Tennessee Titans
LB James Williams is the biggest winner of the Saleh Hire
During his press conference on Wednesday, Saleh continually emphasized violence and how he wants his team to play with an edge every Sunday (or Monday or Thursday).
It’s no surprise that Saleh wants to see violence out of his group, as he coached some of the most physical defenses in football during his time with the San Francisco 49ers as their defensive coordinator.
One violent football player on Tennessee’s defense who fell out of the rotation in 2025 is linebacker James Williams. The 2024 seventh-round pick was once considered the favorite to be a starter on the Titans’ defense at linebacker next to Cody Barton, but Cedric Gray ended up taking his spot in the preseason.
Gray had a breakout year in 2025, setting the franchise record in total tackles in a season with 164.
Despite not seeing the field much on defense, Williams was able to find a role on special teams for the Titans in 2025. The Miami product played 355 special teams snaps, posting a 67.6 PFF special teams grade and establishing himself as a key member on coach Bones Fassel’s units.
With Saleh now as the head coach, I expect Williams to have a much bigger role. I still expect him to be a vital part of the Titans’ special teams operations, but Williams should also see increased snaps on defense.
As you can see by his comments in his opening presser, there’s nothing Saleh loves more than a physical football player who leaves it all out on the field.
That’s exactly what Williams is, and though I don’t expect him to overtake Gray or Barton for a starting spot on Tennessee’s defense, Saleh is going to make sure Williams is on the field for the Titans on most downs and is bringing the JUICE. That could be in a Swiss Army Knife-type role, as Williams did play safety in college, and Saleh could look to tap into that versatility.
Written by Dharya Sharma
Founder/Owner of SharmSports. NFL contributor at The Sporting News
