May 10, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) talks with reporters after his first day of rookie mini camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Jaguars' Rival Generating Zero National Interest Despite Top Pick

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated May 17, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming out on top over the Tennessee Titans -- again.

This time not on the field, but in the court of public opinion and, frankly, general interest in their franchise.

Despite the Titans having the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and using it on the most popular position in sports on quarterback Cam Ward, the NFL world at large could not care less about the Titans.

The Titans are one of just three teams in the NFL who do not have a primetime game. The addition of Ward did nothing to change the fact that, as of today, the Titans are an NPC-level NFL team that has yet to convince anyone outside of Nashville to actually care.

The Jaguars were horrible in 2024, but even they picked up a primetime game with their Monday Night Football clash. They beat the Titans twice last year, even at their absolute lowest. And now they are beating the Titans off the field, too.

“We kind of have this adage that you play your way into primetime,” NFL Vice President of Broadcast Planning and Scheduling Mike North said.

“You don’t draft your way into primetime. So the Titans are one of the teams that don’t currently have a national television window assigned. But that’s what things like flexible scheduling are for. And if you look down the stretch for the Titans, they play San Francisco in Week 15, Kansas City in Week 16. They’ve got the same opportunity every other team has to play their way into a national window.”

The issue is ... why did the Chicago Bears get so many games last year? Why do the New York Giants have so many games in primetime this year?

Not because they played their way into primetime. But because people care. People are interested. The Jaguars carry some of that interest now thanks to the Travis Hunter selection, with the Hunter trade completely and justifably overshadowing Ward being selected No. 1.

Unless Ward brings the Titans out of the ashes and proves to be one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, the football world at large does not have interest in the Jaguars' biggest rival. That is just the reality.