Titans CEO Burke Nihill apologizes to fans after 0‑5 start, backs coach Saleh
Titans chief executive Burke Nihill issued a public apology to the franchise’s fan base on Friday, October 17, 2026, as the team entered its fifth game of the season with an 0‑5 record.
The apology came moments before the Titans were scheduled to host the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium, a game many fans hope will break a winless streak that has stretched back to the start of the season.
“The first thing I would say back to the fans is just that we’re sorry,” Nihill told ESPN. “There’s nobody in this building that doesn’t feel … a sense of grief about it, because not only are we fans of the team as well, but we feel the sense of responsibility to deliver. And we’ve let our fans down because football is supposed be fun.”
Statistically, the Titans have struggled to move the ball, averaging just 11.6 points per game – the fewest in the NFL. Their defense, while respectable at a tie for 11th in points allowed (21.8 per game), has not been enough to compensate for the offensive shortfall, leaving the team with a –51 point differential, one of only three winless squads league‑wide.
Despite the bleak numbers, Nihill expressed confidence in the current leadership. “I personally feel a sense of stability,” he said. “I believe that Mike Borgonzi and Robert Saleh are ultimately going to get this team out of the woods and restore it to competitive football. The train is on the tracks. It just hasn’t picked up momentum, but it will.”
The Titans hired Saleh, formerly the New York Jets head coach, in the offseason and retained GM Borgonzi for a second year. Both are tasked with turning around a franchise that has lost 33 of its last 39 games and endured a seven‑game losing streak that began last season. Since 2022, the organization has fired either a general manager or a head coach each year, underscoring the turmoil on and off the field.
Looking ahead, the Titans will travel to face the Colts on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. A victory would not only snap the losing streak but also provide a morale boost for a fan base that has endured three consecutive losing seasons and a playoff drought dating back to 2021.
