Titans Starting Guard Ruled Out vs. Jaguars

Tennessee Titans guard Kevin Zeitler (70) heads for the locker room after mandatory Titans Minicamp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Titans Starting Guard Ruled Out vs. Jaguars

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Jhelum Mehta | Last updated Jan 4, 2026 3:31 PM ET

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The Titans- Jaguars finale feels like a curtain call for most of Tennessee’s coaching staff, interim head coach Mike McCoy included.

And fittingly, it ends the same way the season’s gone: mismanaged and meek. The Titans’ end-of-half clock management has been a recurring facepalm all year, spanning two head coaches, and Week 18 was no different.

With two timeouts in their pocket and the ball near midfield, Tennessee had a real shot to steal points. Instead, they went full turtle mode; burning clock on a screen and a checkdown that went absolutely nowhere.

No urgency. No aggression. Just another drive that summed up a lost season in Nashville.

Injury Avalanche Hits Tennessee as Kevin Zeitler Goes Down Early

The Titans came out swinging in Week 18 against the Jaguars, jumping to a quick 7–0 lead behind a Cam Ward touchdown keeper. But the early juice came with a brutal price tag.

Veteran guard Kevin Zeitler went down in the first half with a quad injury and was quickly ruled questionable to return. Corey Levin stepped in. Titans PR took to X to share the update. Writing, “Titans Injury Update: G Kevin Zeitler has been downgraded to OUT for the remainder of the game.”

Titans Injury Update:

G Kevin Zeitler has been downgraded to OUT for the remainder of the game.
— Titans PR (@TitansPR) January 4, 2026

However, the injury bug wasn’t done yet. Just before him, Ward took a hard shot and landed awkwardly on his shoulder. He was escorted straight to the locker room and later ruled out.

That injury snapped a remarkable streak for Ward, who had been the only quarterback in the NFL to take every snap for his team in 2025. His final line: a perfect 3-of-3 for 52 yards, plus the 7-yard rushing TD that put Tennessee on the board. Efficient. Short-lived.

Veteran Brandon Allen took over on the Titans’ second drive with the score tied 7–7 and will handle the rest of the game under center. Meanwhile, the offensive line continued to unravel. Levin, who replaced Zeitler, was later ruled out with a biceps injury, forcing fifth-round rookie Jackson Slater into action at right guard.

Right now, the entire Titans line-up looks like this: the backup QB making his first appearance of the season, a patchwork offensive line, rookie pass catchers, and a team that’s cycled through play-callers and head coaches all year. It’s been a rough watch, but the silver lining? There’s still plenty of clock left for Tennessee to grind its way back into this one.

Or is there?

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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