How does Robert Saleh’s move from 49ers to Titans impact this game?
The Titans travel to San Francisco to begin their 2026 preseason on Thursday, August 13, with us at PayPerHead.
This will be a classic preseason matchup, giving coaches a chance to test out new players and systems, while letting their starters play a quarter or so.
Head coach Robert Saleh will make his debut with the Titans, bringing 21 seasons of NFL coaching experience. Most recently, he was defensive coordinator for the 49ers.
San Francisco’s Head coach, Kyle Shanahan, has led this team since 2017, making the playoffs for the last five seasons.
How did Cam Ward perform in his rookie season?
The Titans finished the 2025 season with a 3-14 record, but the team is rebuilding centered on second-year quarterback Cam Ward and fourth-overall 2026 draft selection Carnell Tate as a wide receiver. But Ward should have multiple targets to choose from.
In his rookie season, Ward started all 17 games, throwing for 3,169 yards. In his final nine games, he threw 10 touchdown passes and only one interception. The No. 1 overall draft pick surpassed the previous franchise rookie record set in 2015 by Marcus Mariota, who reached 2,818 passing yards.
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How did the 49ers upset the Eagles in the playoffs?
Their record last season was 12-5, which earned them a wild card berth in the postseason. They pulled off an upset against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round. In the Divisional Round, they lost in a 41-6 blowout to the Seattle Seahawks, who would eventually become the Super Bowl champions.
Brock Purdy enters his fifth season with the 49ers. Since being chosen as the 262nd overall pick in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, Purdy has passed for 11,685 yards and 84 touchdowns. Last year, he played only nine games in the regular season due to injury. Mac Jones covered for him, which is good experience and will probably set him up as the primary backup this season.
What happened in the Titans vs 49ers matchup last season?
These teams met last year with the 49ers coming out ahead, 37-24. But this game will be a little different, as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator is now Tennessee’s head coach. Both teams’ defense will change, so it will be interesting to see how successful each is.
The question is whether Saleh’s experience with the 49ers will give him enough of an edge to beat his old boss.
What is the prediction for Titans vs 49ers on Aug 13?
With the starting quarterbacks unlikely to see much action, Tennessee has better depth, with Trubisky and Levis both having starter experience. Mitch Trubisky has struggled at a few practices recently, but looks to be the backup this season.
The 49ers added several veterans to the roster in hopes of returning to the top of the NFC West. Their defense is transitioning from Saleh to a new coordinator, Raheem Morris. The Titans’ defense is also undergoing change to reflect Saleh’s style.
The Titans are currently 2.5-point favorites, with a low total expected as teams generally play conservative games, limiting their big plays, and focusing on individual performances. We’ll be watching the defenses to see their capabilities at generating pressure.
Our Titans vs 49ers prediction is a close one, with the Titans winning by a score of 20-17.
