1 hr. ago
For the second day in a row, the San Francisco Giants have placed a starting pitched on the Injured List with a potentially devastating injury. On Tuesday, it was lefty Carson Whisenhunt, who left Monday's start with elbow discomfort and is now headed for Tommy John surgery. And on Wednesday, it was righty Adrian Houser, who left Tuesday's game with elbow discomfort and will now hope for better news than his teammate.
The Giants officially placed Houser on the 15-Day Injured List with a right forearm strain. Taking his place on the roster is right-handed reliever Braxton Roxby, who had his contract purchased from AAA Sacramento. To make ******* e on the 40-man roster for Roxby, the Giants moved Whisenhunt to the 60-Day IL.
The hope is that Houser, who is under contract for next year, has avoided a catastrophic injury. He sounded fairly optimistic after the game, which is a good sign. We'll have to wait and see.
As for Roxby, this will be his chance to make his MLB debut. The 27-year old was an undrafted free agent following the truncated 2020 draft, and came to the Giants in the Taylor Rogers trade before the 2025 season. He has just a 4.11 ERA and a 4.92 FIP with Sacramento this season, but has been pitching very well over the last month or two.
He's a four-pitch pitcher, who this year has relied fairly heavily on a slider, sinker, and cutter, with his four-seam fastball — which averages 94.6 mph — being used quite a bit less frequently than that trio. The fastball and slider have really stymied AAA hitters this year, while the cutter has been hit fairly hard and the sinker has been demolished. It will be interesting to see what pitch mix the Giants have him throw.
#Giants #list #whisenhunt
The Giants officially placed Houser on the 15-Day Injured List with a right forearm strain. Taking his place on the roster is right-handed reliever Braxton Roxby, who had his contract purchased from AAA Sacramento. To make ******* e on the 40-man roster for Roxby, the Giants moved Whisenhunt to the 60-Day IL.
The hope is that Houser, who is under contract for next year, has avoided a catastrophic injury. He sounded fairly optimistic after the game, which is a good sign. We'll have to wait and see.
As for Roxby, this will be his chance to make his MLB debut. The 27-year old was an undrafted free agent following the truncated 2020 draft, and came to the Giants in the Taylor Rogers trade before the 2025 season. He has just a 4.11 ERA and a 4.92 FIP with Sacramento this season, but has been pitching very well over the last month or two.
He's a four-pitch pitcher, who this year has relied fairly heavily on a slider, sinker, and cutter, with his four-seam fastball — which averages 94.6 mph — being used quite a bit less frequently than that trio. The fastball and slider have really stymied AAA hitters this year, while the cutter has been hit fairly hard and the sinker has been demolished. It will be interesting to see what pitch mix the Giants have him throw.
#Giants #list #whisenhunt
2 days ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rafael Devers hit a three-run homer in the second inning and the San Francisco Giants snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 on Monday night.
Jason Foley (1-1) worked 1 1/3 innings for the win after relieving lefty Carson Whisenhunt, who left in the third inning with pain in his pitching elbow. He was coming off an outing in which he surrendered a career-worst seven runs and nine hits over four innings of an 8-1 loss at Cleveland last Tuesday. He will have an MRI on Tuesday.
San Francisco leadoff hitter Drew Gilbert doubled in each of his first two at-bats on a cool night and well before the mist began hovering over the outfield in the middle innings.
The Giants began the game with four straight hits off right-hander Chase Burns (14-3), including Jung Hoo Lee's RBI single followed by a run-scoring double from Turner Hill in the first. Two of Burns' three losses this year have come in his last three outings.
There appeared to be no lingering ill will in the first meeting between the clubs since a three-game series at Cincinnati in mid-April that featured a benches-clearing brawl.
#cincinnati
Jason Foley (1-1) worked 1 1/3 innings for the win after relieving lefty Carson Whisenhunt, who left in the third inning with pain in his pitching elbow. He was coming off an outing in which he surrendered a career-worst seven runs and nine hits over four innings of an 8-1 loss at Cleveland last Tuesday. He will have an MRI on Tuesday.
San Francisco leadoff hitter Drew Gilbert doubled in each of his first two at-bats on a cool night and well before the mist began hovering over the outfield in the middle innings.
The Giants began the game with four straight hits off right-hander Chase Burns (14-3), including Jung Hoo Lee's RBI single followed by a run-scoring double from Turner Hill in the first. Two of Burns' three losses this year have come in his last three outings.
There appeared to be no lingering ill will in the first meeting between the clubs since a three-game series at Cincinnati in mid-April that featured a benches-clearing brawl.
#cincinnati
15 days ago
The answer is: Power hitting, sloppy opposing defense, and iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms.
The questions is, what are three things likely to produce runs Tuesday night?
The San Francisco Giants got four runs Tuesday night, which was enough to defeat the Houston Astros, 4-1, after 7 2/3 innings from a pair of magnificent Carsons. Winning a close game where the Giants ran the bases opportunistically and the other team committed a bunch of errors? That's some weird, wild stuff.
Carson Whisenhunt had a rough start, letting six of the first nine Astros he faced reach base. But he escaped and eventually earned his third win of the season after giving up just one run in 5.2 innings. Then Carson Seymour came through with two shutout innings of relief, yielding only a single to "Late Night" LaMonte Wade, Jr.
It was a different sort of game for the Giants, who continued their hard-luck ways Monday when Andrew Susac fouled a ball off leg and fractured his kneecap, which will keep him off the field and off his scooter for the foreseeable future. But Tuesday, the breaks started to go their way.
#carson #power
The questions is, what are three things likely to produce runs Tuesday night?
The San Francisco Giants got four runs Tuesday night, which was enough to defeat the Houston Astros, 4-1, after 7 2/3 innings from a pair of magnificent Carsons. Winning a close game where the Giants ran the bases opportunistically and the other team committed a bunch of errors? That's some weird, wild stuff.
Carson Whisenhunt had a rough start, letting six of the first nine Astros he faced reach base. But he escaped and eventually earned his third win of the season after giving up just one run in 5.2 innings. Then Carson Seymour came through with two shutout innings of relief, yielding only a single to "Late Night" LaMonte Wade, Jr.
It was a different sort of game for the Giants, who continued their hard-luck ways Monday when Andrew Susac fouled a ball off leg and fractured his kneecap, which will keep him off the field and off his scooter for the foreseeable future. But Tuesday, the breaks started to go their way.
#carson #power
15 days ago
It was a costly night in the bay. Not only would Houston lose by a score of 4-1, but they'd also witness an early exit from Jose Altuve who was hit in the left foot on an errant pitch from Carson Whisenhunt during his first AB. Nick Allen would replace Altuve as a result. It's officially being listed as a left foot contusion.
Whisenhunt labored early on. In the opening two innings alone, he'd toss 55 pitches. During that stretch, the Astros would strand a total of five baserunners. The lone score was a sac fly from Yordan Alvarez, which was his 87th RBI of the season. Aside from that run, the only other things that went right on this night were the Rangers and Mariners each losing and failing to gain ground.
Hunter Brown would give up that aforementioned lead moments later. Rafael Devers led off the bottom of the second with a walk. Devers proceeded to take second, and on a Drew Gilbert single, he'd score to tie things at 1. San Francisco would add a run in the bottom of the fourth. Gilbert once again was at the center of things, as he'd draw a walk and eventually come around to score on Drew Cavanaugh's single to center field. That made the score 2-1.
After initially being on the ropes, Whisenhunt would settle down and cruise through the next three innings. At one point, he'd retire 11 in a row. For the night, he'd allow 4 hits, issue 3 walks and strike out a pair while surrendering one run.
Hunter Brown would go five innings. In his final inning of work, Bryce Eldridge would take him deep with a solo blast to center field. Brown issued 3 walks and only managed a total of six swing and misses against Giants hitters. De Los Santos lasted mere minutes in relief of Brown. With two outs in the 6th, Cavanaugh reached on a single and scored on a double from Christian Koss. That made the score 4-1 and that would be your final.
#score #he 'd #innings
Whisenhunt labored early on. In the opening two innings alone, he'd toss 55 pitches. During that stretch, the Astros would strand a total of five baserunners. The lone score was a sac fly from Yordan Alvarez, which was his 87th RBI of the season. Aside from that run, the only other things that went right on this night were the Rangers and Mariners each losing and failing to gain ground.
Hunter Brown would give up that aforementioned lead moments later. Rafael Devers led off the bottom of the second with a walk. Devers proceeded to take second, and on a Drew Gilbert single, he'd score to tie things at 1. San Francisco would add a run in the bottom of the fourth. Gilbert once again was at the center of things, as he'd draw a walk and eventually come around to score on Drew Cavanaugh's single to center field. That made the score 2-1.
After initially being on the ropes, Whisenhunt would settle down and cruise through the next three innings. At one point, he'd retire 11 in a row. For the night, he'd allow 4 hits, issue 3 walks and strike out a pair while surrendering one run.
Hunter Brown would go five innings. In his final inning of work, Bryce Eldridge would take him deep with a solo blast to center field. Brown issued 3 walks and only managed a total of six swing and misses against Giants hitters. De Los Santos lasted mere minutes in relief of Brown. With two outs in the 6th, Cavanaugh reached on a single and scored on a double from Christian Koss. That made the score 4-1 and that would be your final.
#score #he 'd #innings
15 days ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bryce Eldridge homered, fellow rookie Carson Whisenhunt pitched 5 2/3 innings after working out of two early bases-loaded jams and the San Francisco Giants beat the Houston Astros 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Jose Altuve was hit by a pitch from Whisenhunt (3-3) to load the bases with one out in the first. Altuve stayed in the game but did not return for the bottom of the second inning with what the team said was a left foot contusion.
Christian Walker popped out to short right field for the second out, and Nelson Velázquez grounded out to third in his first at-bat with the Astros after being claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Houston loaded the bases with ****** ody out in the second, but managed only a sacrifice fly by Yordan Alvarez for a 1-0 lead.
Rafael Devers drew a walk off Hunter Brown (3-2) and took second on a wild pitch to start the bottom of the inning. Drew Gilbert's one-out single tied it.
#second #francisco #altuve #loaded
Jose Altuve was hit by a pitch from Whisenhunt (3-3) to load the bases with one out in the first. Altuve stayed in the game but did not return for the bottom of the second inning with what the team said was a left foot contusion.
Christian Walker popped out to short right field for the second out, and Nelson Velázquez grounded out to third in his first at-bat with the Astros after being claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Houston loaded the bases with ****** ody out in the second, but managed only a sacrifice fly by Yordan Alvarez for a 1-0 lead.
Rafael Devers drew a walk off Hunter Brown (3-2) and took second on a wild pitch to start the bottom of the inning. Drew Gilbert's one-out single tied it.
#second #francisco #altuve #loaded
15 days ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve left the team's game at San Francisco on Tuesday night after getting hit on the left foot by a pitch.
The Astros said Altuve had a bruised foot.
Altuve was hit by an 82 mph slider from Giants starter Carson Whisenhunt in the top of the first. After getting looked at, he stayed in the game to run the bases.
The 36-year-old two-time World Series champion took the field for the bottom of the inning but left before going back out on defense in the third. He was replaced by Nick Allen.
Altuve is hitting .240 with 13 home runs and 35 RBIs in his 16th season in the majors. Houston went into the game in first place in the AL West.
#altuve #left #game #first
The Astros said Altuve had a bruised foot.
Altuve was hit by an 82 mph slider from Giants starter Carson Whisenhunt in the top of the first. After getting looked at, he stayed in the game to run the bases.
The 36-year-old two-time World Series champion took the field for the bottom of the inning but left before going back out on defense in the third. He was replaced by Nick Allen.
Altuve is hitting .240 with 13 home runs and 35 RBIs in his 16th season in the majors. Houston went into the game in first place in the AL West.
#altuve #left #game #first
2 months ago
This afternoon, the San Francisco Giants announced that they placed Victor Bericoto on the 10-day IL "with an oblique strain" and taking his spot on the roster is 25-year old Grant McCray, in the majors for the first time in 2026.
McCray had surgery back in June to repair his left hamate bone and up to that point he'd been hitting just .237/.360/.370. He made just three starts since being activated, but he's 4-for-8 with a homer, a double, a strikeout and a walk. He also stole 3 bases and didn't get caught. McCray's defense will come in handy. His bat remains the central question.
He'll be taking Victor Bericoto's roster spot. An oblique strain is a tough injury for a hitter and it's a real shame to see such a young player have some quite positive momentum halted by the injury bug. Such is baseball, I suppose. Then again, it's remarkable to consider how much these two players mirror each other. In 59 plate appearances, the 24-year old Bericoto had 15 strikeouts against just 1 walk but 4 homers and 3 doubles. In McCray's debut age-23 season, he swatted 5 homers in 130 plate appearances and had 56 strikeouts against just 6 walks. Not exactly the same, but close enough in terms of those three true outcomes. Although, it's absolutely worth mentioning that Bericoto's line in a much smaller sample is much, much better than what McCray did in 2024: .293/.305/.552 vs. .202/.238/.379.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the outfield defense aligns late in games because McCray is an outstanding defender in center and right and with Jung Hoo Lee and Drew Gilbert on the roster (at least for now), his playing time seems a little fuzzy.
The bigger surprise is the return of Keaton Winn, who comes off the IL after being seemingly lost to the vagaries of Tony Vitello's managing. But, nope. After hitting the IL on June 8th, he returned and rehabbed on July 3 and made 3 total appearances across the Giants minor leagues (who were playing home games in Northern California). He struck out 3 in three innings while walking 2 and allowing just a hit. He ******* ps Carson Whisenhunt back to the minors because, as Alex Pavlovic points out, "With the All-Star break, he wasn't going to be in line to start for at least a week."
McCray had surgery back in June to repair his left hamate bone and up to that point he'd been hitting just .237/.360/.370. He made just three starts since being activated, but he's 4-for-8 with a homer, a double, a strikeout and a walk. He also stole 3 bases and didn't get caught. McCray's defense will come in handy. His bat remains the central question.
He'll be taking Victor Bericoto's roster spot. An oblique strain is a tough injury for a hitter and it's a real shame to see such a young player have some quite positive momentum halted by the injury bug. Such is baseball, I suppose. Then again, it's remarkable to consider how much these two players mirror each other. In 59 plate appearances, the 24-year old Bericoto had 15 strikeouts against just 1 walk but 4 homers and 3 doubles. In McCray's debut age-23 season, he swatted 5 homers in 130 plate appearances and had 56 strikeouts against just 6 walks. Not exactly the same, but close enough in terms of those three true outcomes. Although, it's absolutely worth mentioning that Bericoto's line in a much smaller sample is much, much better than what McCray did in 2024: .293/.305/.552 vs. .202/.238/.379.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the outfield defense aligns late in games because McCray is an outstanding defender in center and right and with Jung Hoo Lee and Drew Gilbert on the roster (at least for now), his playing time seems a little fuzzy.
The bigger surprise is the return of Keaton Winn, who comes off the IL after being seemingly lost to the vagaries of Tony Vitello's managing. But, nope. After hitting the IL on June 8th, he returned and rehabbed on July 3 and made 3 total appearances across the Giants minor leagues (who were playing home games in Northern California). He struck out 3 in three innings while walking 2 and allowing just a hit. He ******* ps Carson Whisenhunt back to the minors because, as Alex Pavlovic points out, "With the All-Star break, he wasn't going to be in line to start for at least a week."
2 months ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Casey Schmitt, Bryce Eldridge and Willy Adames homered to back rookie Carson Whisenhunt and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 8-2 on Thursday night to start a four-game series.
Whisenhunt (2-0) allowed two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings in his second start this season and the seventh of his career. He struck out four and walked four, throwing 57 of 87 pitches for strikes.
JT Brubacker retired all four batters he faced before Erik Miller struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Caleb Kilian fanned two in the ninth to finish.
Schmitt hit his 18th homer — a two-out shot off Ryan Feltner (3-3) for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. He had an RBI double after a two-out bases-empty single by Luis Arraez to ignite a four-run eighth against reliever TJ Shook. Rafael Devers added a ground-rule RBI double in front of Adames' 15th homer to cap the rally.
Eldridge became the first Giant this season to hit a home run into McCovey Cove, tying it 2-2 in the fourth with his eighth of the season.
Whisenhunt (2-0) allowed two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings in his second start this season and the seventh of his career. He struck out four and walked four, throwing 57 of 87 pitches for strikes.
JT Brubacker retired all four batters he faced before Erik Miller struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Caleb Kilian fanned two in the ninth to finish.
Schmitt hit his 18th homer — a two-out shot off Ryan Feltner (3-3) for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. He had an RBI double after a two-out bases-empty single by Luis Arraez to ignite a four-run eighth against reliever TJ Shook. Rafael Devers added a ground-rule RBI double in front of Adames' 15th homer to cap the rally.
Eldridge became the first Giant this season to hit a home run into McCovey Cove, tying it 2-2 in the fourth with his eighth of the season.
2 months ago
The Colorado Rockies had a surprisingly competitive series against the Los Angeles Dodgers despite losing two of the three games they played. The road offense continues to be impressive, but they will now have to face a difficult challenge in facing the San Francisco Giants on the road for a four-game series, in a ballpark they have historically struggled in.
Ryan Feltner (3-2, 4.27 ERA) will make his 13th start of the season for the Rockies. Feltner was excellent in his last start, which came against the Giants last week at Coors Field. Feltner recorded a quality start by allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits over six innings. He also set a season-high in strikeouts with nine and didn’t allow a walk in a fairly dominant performance. Making just his fourth career start at Oracle Park, Feltner has struggled pitching by the Bay. In three previous starts, the most recent in 2024, Feltner has allowed 11 runs on 17 hits, including three home runs, over 16 innings of work. Walks have hit him the most in the past, but that was the old Feltner, as the current version has done well pounding the zone and getting strikeouts. A struggling Giants offense opens the door for another strong outing for the Rockies starter.
Carson Whisenhunt (1-0, 3.60 ERA) gets the nod for San Francisco, having just been recalled from Triple-A today. Whisenhunt made a spot start on June 17, his only start with the big league club this season, allowing just two runs on six hits over five innings against the Atlanta Braves. In Triple-A Sacramento this season, he sports a 4.42 ERA over 16 outings with 82 strikeouts against 37 walks. He struggled in his handful of starts last season, recording a 5.01 ERA, with walks and home runs being the main culprits. He has three or four pitches at his disposal, with a changeup that is considered his best pitch, which has a 27% whiff rate.
First Pitch: 7:45 pm MT
TV: Rockies.TV
Ryan Feltner (3-2, 4.27 ERA) will make his 13th start of the season for the Rockies. Feltner was excellent in his last start, which came against the Giants last week at Coors Field. Feltner recorded a quality start by allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits over six innings. He also set a season-high in strikeouts with nine and didn’t allow a walk in a fairly dominant performance. Making just his fourth career start at Oracle Park, Feltner has struggled pitching by the Bay. In three previous starts, the most recent in 2024, Feltner has allowed 11 runs on 17 hits, including three home runs, over 16 innings of work. Walks have hit him the most in the past, but that was the old Feltner, as the current version has done well pounding the zone and getting strikeouts. A struggling Giants offense opens the door for another strong outing for the Rockies starter.
Carson Whisenhunt (1-0, 3.60 ERA) gets the nod for San Francisco, having just been recalled from Triple-A today. Whisenhunt made a spot start on June 17, his only start with the big league club this season, allowing just two runs on six hits over five innings against the Atlanta Braves. In Triple-A Sacramento this season, he sports a 4.42 ERA over 16 outings with 82 strikeouts against 37 walks. He struggled in his handful of starts last season, recording a 5.01 ERA, with walks and home runs being the main culprits. He has three or four pitches at his disposal, with a changeup that is considered his best pitch, which has a 27% whiff rate.
First Pitch: 7:45 pm MT
TV: Rockies.TV
2 months ago
San Francisco hit three homers in the second inning, including a two-run shot by Luis Arraez, Carson Whisenhunt won a matchup of rookie starting pitchers and the Giants held off the Atlanta Braves 7-5 on Wednesday night to sweep a split doubleheader.
The Giants won the opening game of the doubleheader 7-2 as left-hander Robbie Ray threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings. It was the completion of Tuesday night’s game, which was suspended due to rain.
Whisenhunt (1-0) allowed two runs on six hits in five-plus innings in his season debut.
Atlanta right-hander JR Ritchie (1-2) gave up five runs in five innings on five hits, including three homers. Willy Adames, Arraez and Bryce Eldridge homered in the four-run second inning. Arraez added a two-run single in the ninth.
Giants left-hander Matt Gage (right knee inflammation) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and gave up a two-run homer to Mauricio Dubón in the ninth. Gage gave up two more hits. Right-hander Tristan Beck overcame a run-scoring wild pitch to record the final two outs for his first save.
The Giants won the opening game of the doubleheader 7-2 as left-hander Robbie Ray threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings. It was the completion of Tuesday night’s game, which was suspended due to rain.
Whisenhunt (1-0) allowed two runs on six hits in five-plus innings in his season debut.
Atlanta right-hander JR Ritchie (1-2) gave up five runs in five innings on five hits, including three homers. Willy Adames, Arraez and Bryce Eldridge homered in the four-run second inning. Arraez added a two-run single in the ninth.
Giants left-hander Matt Gage (right knee inflammation) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and gave up a two-run homer to Mauricio Dubón in the ninth. Gage gave up two more hits. Right-hander Tristan Beck overcame a run-scoring wild pitch to record the final two outs for his first save.
2 months ago
There is a buzz building around the Tennessee ****** ans, and a hope that they can change their fortunes in 2026.
While there are still many hurdles and practices to go before the start of the regular season, there is an excitement around the facility, and the arrow definitely appears to be pointing in the right direction. In fact, some ****** ysts, including Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com, are starting to believe that the ****** ans even have a puncher's chance at making the playoffs.
Rank 5 - Tennessee ****** ansLast playoff season: 2021
The new-look ****** ans will boast more than a fresh set of unis in 2026. Former New York head coaches Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll have found new homes in Nashville as head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, and both veteran shot-callers have imported familiar faces (DE Jermaine Johnson II, WR Wan'Dale Robinson) to build around 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Add in this year's fourth overall selection, WR Carnell Tate, and the ****** ans are flush with enough talent to make a run at the AFC South. It helps that Tennessee's .476 strength of schedule ranks 25th in the league. But the franchise has been in a rut in recent years, experiencing its worst stretch since the forgettable Munchak-Whisenhunt-Mularkey journey in the early 2010s. That run was followed by four playoff appearances. Could the Saleh hire and Ward selection inspire a new era of winning ****** ans football? Perhaps, but it'll be tough to break through in their first year together while competing against AFC South rivals Jacksonville and Houston, who have postseason experience, along with another established team in the division (I'll have more on that squad at No. 3 on this list).
Yes, there is a chance that Tennessee could take a significant step forward and make the playoffs in 2026; a smaller step forward this season is a more likely outcome. The ****** ans have made major changes during the offseason and infused the roster with much-needed talent, but they still have questions to answer before they can be considered true contenders.
While there are still many hurdles and practices to go before the start of the regular season, there is an excitement around the facility, and the arrow definitely appears to be pointing in the right direction. In fact, some ****** ysts, including Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com, are starting to believe that the ****** ans even have a puncher's chance at making the playoffs.
Rank 5 - Tennessee ****** ansLast playoff season: 2021
The new-look ****** ans will boast more than a fresh set of unis in 2026. Former New York head coaches Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll have found new homes in Nashville as head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, and both veteran shot-callers have imported familiar faces (DE Jermaine Johnson II, WR Wan'Dale Robinson) to build around 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Add in this year's fourth overall selection, WR Carnell Tate, and the ****** ans are flush with enough talent to make a run at the AFC South. It helps that Tennessee's .476 strength of schedule ranks 25th in the league. But the franchise has been in a rut in recent years, experiencing its worst stretch since the forgettable Munchak-Whisenhunt-Mularkey journey in the early 2010s. That run was followed by four playoff appearances. Could the Saleh hire and Ward selection inspire a new era of winning ****** ans football? Perhaps, but it'll be tough to break through in their first year together while competing against AFC South rivals Jacksonville and Houston, who have postseason experience, along with another established team in the division (I'll have more on that squad at No. 3 on this list).
Yes, there is a chance that Tennessee could take a significant step forward and make the playoffs in 2026; a smaller step forward this season is a more likely outcome. The ****** ans have made major changes during the offseason and infused the roster with much-needed talent, but they still have questions to answer before they can be considered true contenders.
