The Tennessee Titans hired Robert Saleh as their next head coach and will have an elevated role in his first season with the team.
The new HC will be the defensive playcaller for the Titans, a role he didn’t have in his first job with the New York Jets.
“I can’t wait to work with y’all, man. It’s going to be freakin’ fun,” Saleh said to his players, via the Titans. “We’re going to get after it each day, and we’re going to get better… We’re going to bring a championship home, and it’s going to start with you guys.”
With training camp coming up, the Titans defense will get its first look at Saleh’s scheme. One Titans reporter names a member of the secondary who could break out under the new head coach’s tutelage.
Titans Defender Named Breakout Candidate
GettyThe Titans defensive back will need to step up
The Titans made several defensive additions this offseason, which helps make Robert Saleh’s job easier in his first season. But one NFL reporter believes a player on the roster could step up and be a key contributor next season.
The Athletic’s Titans beat reporter, Joe Rexrode, named safety Kevin Winston Jr. a breakout player for the 2026 season.
“The Titans got Winston in the third round of the 2025 draft even though some thought he was closer to a first-round talent, which is what happens sometimes with players coming off serious injuries. A partially torn ACL cut Winston’s 2024 season short at Penn State and limited him to 10 games in 2025. Now, he’s healthy and looking primed for a breakthrough,” Rexrode wrote.
“He’s playing next to Amani Hooker, which was a good thing for years for former Titan Kevin Byard. The Titans appear solid at corner. But maybe best of all, the front seven looks like it could be ferocious in Robert Saleh’s first year, and that’s especially true if a young edge or two can step up. A front seven like that is a rangy playmaker’s best friend. ”
Winston Jr. logged 2 pass deflections, 34 total tackles, and a sack in 10 games (6 starts) during his rookie season.
Now healed and under the guidance of defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, the safety could elevate his name on the Titans roster.
If Kevin Winston Jr. has a strong training camp, he could cement himself as a starter and have his breakout year.
Robert Saleh on Kevin Winston Jr.
GettyRobert Saleh had strong words for the second-year defender
While not specifically talking about Kevin Winston Jr., head coach Robert Saleh lauded the versatility the safeties bring to the roster.
“They are interchangeable,” Saleh said, via ESPN. “So there’s times we’re going to need to play back coverage. There’s a time when we’ll ask them to play the hashes. We’re going to put a lot of stress on them in quarters. There’s a lot of versatility there.”
The head coach has said that he wants Winston Jr. to play the deep safety role in the 2026 season, but wants him, and all the other safeties, to master their main position first.
If Kevin Winston Jr. can bring the versatility Robert Saleh wants, he could be in line for a huge second season.
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