NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Titans say their logo and uniform redesign is about the future. Look closer and it’s also about leaving parts of their own past behind.
The flames from the fireball logo have been snuffed out, and the hope is that the bad football tied to the end of the Jon Robinson–Mike Vrabel era and the brief Ran Carthon–Brian Callahan stretch is gone with them.
But in cutting away some recent bad, the Titans also create distance from some good. It’s evolution, but Derrick Henry action shots will soon look more dated.
The redesign leaves behind more than just the losing.
The more modern, minimal branding cut the uniform colors from six to three and made them far less busy.
That’s a trend we’ve seen with what the Chargers and Dolphins did in their redesigns. Something similar could be coming for the Jaguars, considering the reaction they got when they’ve worn more simple throwbacks.
The old uniforms had a sword motif -- blade points on the shoulders, a blade stripe on the helmet and a sheath stripe on the pants. Those elements are now far more subtle, thin lines meant to resemble guitar strings.
Erin Swartz, the team’s senior vice president of brand marketing, spoke Thursday about the intentional proportionality of the colors. And it works.
In what they’ve done, navy is dead.
“What we knew for sure we wanted was that Titans blue as the primary, and it wasn't just because the fans told us so, which they did,” she said. It’s because we know that on any given Sunday, about 25 percent of NFL teams can show up in either navy or dark blue color but we’re the only team in the NFL that has this particular shade of blue.
"So by leaning into this, we could find a space in the NFL that was really unique and really give our fans a unique color that they could stand [out] really boldly and support their team whether they are cheering for us in an away stadium of here at home."
The Patriots, Texans, Bears, Giants, Broncos, Cowboys and Seahawks all wear some variation of dark blue.
Titans blue is distinct, but it’s hardly the only light blue in the league. The Chargers and Lions have a primary light blue, too, and the Panthers use an alternate light blue.
The Titans’ remaining navy is so minor it doesn’t count among the three primary colors. They’re small touches -- both reverential and referential. The three stars of the state flag near the vents under the arm. A star inside the collar, merely symbolic.
Said Titans president and CEO Burke Nill: “We wanted something that would represent the best of who we’ve always been and hits on representing Nashville and Tennessee well, having the look and feel that our fans and players responded to so well and came upon something that was classic and timeless.
The best of who the Titans have been.
The best they have ever been since the merger in 1970 came in 1999, when the franchise made its only Super Bowl trip, which was in the first year of the two-tone blue original Titans uniforms. That kicked off the best five-year run in franchise history when it posted a .700 winning percentage.
Jevon Kearse: “I was here in 99 when we switched the uniforms up, and guess what happened?” #Titans pic.twitter.com/EPRxXc8V4j
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) March 13, 2026
The Love Ya Blue back-to-back AFC Championship Game losses in 1977 and 1978 to the Steelers marked a terrific era.
The run-and-shoot Oilers went to the playoffs seven consecutive years in the late 80s and early 90s.
From 2017 to 2021, the Titans made four playoff trips, including a trip to the AFC Championship Game and a No. 1 seed in the AFC.
So what now?
Bad football isn’t the only thing the Titans don’t want to carry into the new Nissan Stadium in 2027.
They’re leaving behind a ratty, outdated building. A visual reset arrives at exactly the right time, giving the franchise a new look to match a $2.2 billion stadium with a translucent roof.
The new stadium will align with the second year of the new logo and new uniforms. Mike Borgonzi’s been working furiously on revamping the roster.
Writing a new story will only really mean something if they get what they got in 1999 -- big wins to go with a new look and home.
