NFL Exec Explains Why Titans Have No Primetime Games

Despite having the No. 1 overall pick in Cam Ward, the Tennessee Titans were not given a primetime game for the 2025 season, joining the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints as the only other teams in that category.

The decision has left some fans a bit confused, but NFL Vice President of Broadcast Planning and Scheduling Mike North recently told Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports the reasoning behind it.

“We kind of have this adage that you play your way into primetime,” 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 "play your way into primetime" logic from North doesn't make much sense when looking at the Chicago Bears and last year's No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams. The Bears had a 7-10 record and missed the playoffs for the third straight season before using the pick acquired in the DJ Moore trade with the Carolina Panthers in 2023 to select Williams.

As recently as last season, the NFL made it clear they have no issue with showing off the league's top overall pick in primetime. Williams and the Bears were given a primetime slot as early as Week 2 on the road against the Houston Texans for Sunday Night Football before heading to London to play in the international spotlight against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Chicago also faced the Detroit Lions on the road for Thanksgiving, the league's biggest spotlight during the regular season. And if that wasn't enough, the Bears then played on Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15 before making another primetime appearance the day after Christmas on Amazon Prime's Thursday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17.

According to Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky, Ward not playing in a primetime game his rookie season would be a rarity when looking at recent history.

"​Based on the information available, it appears that every quarterback selected first overall in the NFL Draft over the past two decades has had at least one primetime game during their rookie season," Kuharsky wrote.

The Titans will open up the regular season on the road against the Denver Broncos.