The Tennessee Titans began the Robert Saleh era with a loss against the New York Jets, 10-23, but had some positives.
Rookie linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. had an impressive performance in the season opener against the Jets, recording 16 tackles and two pass deflections.
After the loss to New York, Saleh appeared on the “The OTP” podcast and spoke about Hill’s debut in the NFL.
Robert Saleh Lauds Hill Jr.’s Performance Against the Jets
The Tennessee Titans took Anthony Hill Jr. with the 60th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The rookie had a big task ahead of him in his rookie season, as he wore the green dot and relayed the plays to the defense.
When asked about the linebacker’s performance, Robert Saleh said that Hill did “a nice job.”
“I thought for his first game, Anthony [Hill Jr.] put himself in position to be successful,” the head coach said. “He didn’t have any glaring mistakes.”
“He had two PBUs; one was a ridiculous [breakup] on the outside… And the bang-bang play down in the redzone that looked like it was about to walk in and he popped out of nowhere.”
In his first game in the league and wearing the green dot, Hill Jr. had a lot on his plate, but still performed well and didn’t appear under pressure.
The linebacker had 16 tackles, which is impressive in itself, but a worry for the defensive line to miss out on their tackles and force Hill Jr. to clean up.
But still getting acclimated to Saleh and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s defense, the Titans defense and Hill Jr. need to warm up before performing at their best.
The head coach mentioned that Anthony Hill Jr. was “moving fast” and is waiting for the linebacker to move even faster.
Saleh Tenure Starts Shaky
The Tennessee Titans ended the 2025 season on a two-game losing streak, which has now been extended to three following the loss to the New York Jets.
While the defense held the Jets offense at 23 points (Robert Saleh is calling the plays for the defense, a first in a head coaching job), the Titans offense did not click off as expected.
Quarterback Cam Ward is now learning under Brian Daboll, the former New York Giants head coach, and the pair did not have a solid outing in the first game of the 2026 season.
Ward completed 19 of his 32 pass attempts for 140 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 21 yards on four attempts.
Tennessee’s offense scored just 10 points in the partnership of Ward and Daboll, but the pair could still be getting warmed up together. There are 16 more games left in the season and they could become a lethal duo later in the season.
While it is too early to tell how the team will fare the rest of the season, if the season opener is a precursor for the Titans, it could be a long season for the squad.
Robert Saleh Drops Take on Rookie Linebacker’s Impressive Debut