Skidding Titans on the verge of their highest NFL draft pick since at least 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are living through a repeat of their worst season since the franchise left Texas in 1997.

Only this is much worse.

The 2014 team went 2-14 in Ken Whisenhunt 's first season as head coach.

If these Titans (3-13) lose Sunday against Houston, they would match the most losses in Tennessee thanks to the NFL’s move to a 17-game regular season.

Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk fired a general manager in December 2022 as the Titans slumped from two-time defending division champs to a season-ending skid. She fired coach Mike Vrabel in January after a 6-11 season.

Now Brian Callahan goes into the final game of his debut season with five straight losses and seven of the past eight in the franchise's third straight losing season.

The lone win in that stretch? In Houston.

That 2014 season netted the No. 2 pick overall in the 2015 NFL draft, and Tennessee drafted quarterback Marcus Mariota who was benched in 2019 for veteran Ryan Tannehill.

There's plenty of pressure on this franchise. The Titans will be wearing their Houston Oilers' throwbacks on Sunday in hosting the Texans. They're currently selling personal seat licenses and season tickets for the $2.2 billion enclosed stadium being built next door scheduled to open for the 2027 season.

Callahan was asked about an NFL Network report that he and his staff would be back for the 2025 season. He said his conversations with Strunk have been positive and that he has talks with general manager Ran Carthon and Chad Brinker, president of football operations.

“I just come in and try to do my job as best I can and do it as long as they allow me to do it,” Callahan said Monday. “And if for some reason at some point, and hopefully it’s years from now when someone says we don’t need your services anymore, then that’s how it goes.”

The defense. The Titans have held eight opponents to 24 points or fewer this season, including the 20-13 loss to the Jaguars in Jacksonville. In coordinator Dennard Wilson's first season, they go into the finale third in the NFL in yards allowed and second against the pass.

They've held 11 opponents to fewer than 200 yards passing this season. The Titans also have 17 takeaways this season with eight interceptions since Week 12.

The offense. The Titans were shut out in the first half, and they wound up with their sixth loss this season by eight points or fewer. Mason Rudolph's lone interception was a tipped ball, but it was the 33rd turnover of the season for Tennessee — most in the NFL.

That's why Callahan said both Rudolph, who has started and lost the past two games, and second-year quarterback Will Levis will play Sunday. A decision on who starts will come later this week.

The Titans had a chance to try and force overtime or go for the win late. But Rudolph couldn't connect with a wide-open Chig Okonkwo on the left sideline. Then a fourth down pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was broken up at the goal line.

RB Tyjae Spears. The second-year back out of Tulane had the best game of his career and only a 5-yard loss on the play that knocked him out of the game cost him his first 100-yard rushing performance. Spears averaged 4.8 yards per carry.

LT JC Latham. The seventh pick overall out of Alabama has started every game, but he gave up another sack and four pressures against the Jaguars. He has allowed seven sacks this season and 43 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Callahan said Latham is a run powerful run blocker who will only get better.

Spears (concussion) will have a hard time clearing the concussion protocol in a week. Jaelyn Duncan (shoulder) also is unlikely to play after lasting only 15 snaps in his second start at RT this season.

Callahan said RB Tony Pollard, who missed his first game this season with illness and an injured ankle, and RG Dillon Radunz (shoulder) could be back.

13 — The number of Titans starters in Jacksonville who did not start the season opener in Chicago. That includes seven on offense and six on defense because of injuries.

Callahan also started rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and Darrell Baker at cornerback, sitting veteran Chidobe Awuzie who came off the bench for 35 snaps.

Lose one more game and finish with the No. 2 pick overall. If the New England Patriots lose to Buffalo, the Titans could land the top pick overall for the first time since 2016. That pick was traded two weeks before the draft for a handful of picks that netted three starters led by Derrick Henry.

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Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan looks to the field from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Tennessee Titans linebacker Jerome Baker, right, breaks up a pass intended for Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Tennessee Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph (11) is sacked by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (0) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown after catch during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan answers questions from reporters after an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

ATLANTA (AP) — The U.S. House on Thursday approved legislation requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for anyone registering to vote, something voting rights group have warned could disenfranchise millions of Americans.

The requirement has been a top election-related priority for President Donald Trump and House Republicans, who argue it's needed to eliminate instances of noncitizen voting, which is already rare and, as numerous state cases have shown, is typically a mistake rather than part of a coordinated attempt to subvert an election. It's already illegal under federal law for people who are not U.S. citizens to cast ballots and can lead to felony charges and deportation.

The bill, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE Act, now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain because Republicans don't have a large enough majority to avoid a filibuster.

Here’s a look at key issues in the debate over a proof of citizenship requirement for voting:

If it eventually becomes the law, the SAVE Act would take effect immediately and apply to all voter registration applications.

“This has no impact on individuals that are currently registered to vote,” said Rep. Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican who has been advocating for the bill.

Voting rights groups say there is more to the story. The law would affect voters who already are registered if they move, change their name or otherwise need to update their registration. That was acknowledged to some extent by the bill’s author, Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, during a recent hearing on the legislation.

“The idea here is that for individuals to be able to continue to vote if they are registered,” Roy said. “If they have an intervening event or if the states want to clean the rolls, people would come forward to register to demonstrate their citizenship so we could convert our system over some reasonable time to a citizenship-based registration system.”

The SAVE Act compels states to reject any voter registration application in which the applicant has not presented “documentary proof of United States citizenship."

Among the acceptable documents for demonstrating proof of citizenship are:

— A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license that “indicates the applicant is a citizen.”

— A valid U.S. passport.

— A military ID card with a military record of service that lists the applicant’s birthplace as in the U.S.

— A valid government-issued photo ID that shows the applicant’s birthplace was in the U.S.

— A valid government-issued photo ID presented with a document such as a certified birth certificate that shows the birthplace was in the U.S.

In general, driver’s licenses do not list a birthplace or indicate that the card holder is a citizen – even many that are REAL ID-compliant.

REAL ID was passed by Congress in 2005 to set minimum standards for IDs such as driver’s licenses and requires applicants to provide a Social Security number and demonstrate lawful status either as a citizen or legal resident.

After years of delays, any driver’s license used for identification to pass through airport security will have to be REAL ID-compliant beginning May 7. U.S. passports will still be acceptable.

Although states designate REAL ID compliance on driver’s licenses with a marking such as a gold or black star, that alone would not indicate U.S. citizenship. People who are legal residents but not citizens also can obtain a REAL ID.

States are currently not required to label IDs with a “citizen” mark, although a handful of states (Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington) offer a citizen-only REAL ID alternative that might meet SAVE Act requirements. Republicans say they hope more states will move in the direction of IDs that indicate citizenship.

“The structure is put in place now to -- I think there’s at least five states that do have the citizenship status as part of the REAL ID -- encourage more states to do so,” Roy said. “That would be part of the goal here.”

Adoption of REAL ID has been slow. As of January 2024, about 56% of driver’s licenses and IDs in the U.S. were REAL ID-compliant, according to data collected by the Department of Homeland Security.

Voting rights group say the list of documents doesn’t consider the realities facing millions of Americans who do not have easy access to their birth certificates and the roughly half who do not have a U.S. passport.

They also worry about additional hurdles for women whose birth certificates don’t match their current IDs because they changed their name after getting married. There were examples of this during local elections last month in New Hampshire, which recently implemented a proof of citizenship requirement for voting.

Republicans say there is a provision in the SAVE Act that directs states to develop a process for accepting supplemental documents such as a marriage certificate, which could establish the connection between a birth certificate and a government-issued ID.

They argue the process is similar to obtaining a U.S. passport or REAL ID-compliant driver’s license.

“We have mechanisms giving the state fairly significant deference to make determinations as to how to structure the situation where an individual does have a name change,” Roy said. “The process is specifically contemplated in this legislation.”

Democrats counter that the bill should have specified how this was to be done, rather than creating the potential to have 50 different rules.

The legislation says applicants who submit the federal voter registration form by mail must present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person to their local election office under a deadline set by their state.

Voting rights groups have noted this would be a huge barrier for people who live in more rural parts of the country, where the nearest election office might be hours away by car.

The SAVE Act directs states, in consultation with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, to ensure that “reasonable accommodations” are made to allow individuals with disabilities who submit the form to provide proof of citizenship to their election official.

The legislation also considers that some states permit same-day voter registration and says, in those cases, voters must present proof of citizenship at their polling location “not later than the date of the election.”

That would mean that people who do not have such proof with them would have to return with their documents before polls close to be registered and have their ballot counted.

It’s less clear what this means for those states that have online voter registration systems or automatic voter registration set up through their state’s motor vehicle agency. Democratic state election officials have raised concerns that the legislation means these processes would no longer be operational under the proposal.

The legislation says anyone registering through a state motor vehicle agency also is required to provide proof of citizenship. It directs the Election Assistance Commission to issue guidance to state election officials about implementing the law’s requirements.

Republicans say any instance of voting by noncitizens, no matter how rare, is unacceptable and undermines confidence in U.S. elections.

Democrats respond by saying that voting by noncitizens is already illegal in federal elections —those for president and Congress — and penalties can result in fines and deportation. They say Congress should be more focused on helping states improve their ability to identify and remove any noncitizens who might end up on voter lists instead of forcing everyone to prove citizenship beforehand.

A recent review in Michigan identified 15 people who appear to be noncitizens who voted in the 2024 general election, out of more than 5.7 million ballots cast in the state. Of those, 13 were referred to the attorney general for potential criminal charges. One involved a voter who has since died, and the final case remains under investigation.

“Our careful review confirms what we already knew – that this illegal activity is very rare,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement. “While we take all violations of election law very seriously, this tiny fraction of potential cases in Michigan and at the national level do not justify recent efforts to pass laws we know would block tens of thousands of Michigan citizens from voting in future elections."

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, walks outside of the closed-door House Republican Conference as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks to fellow Republicans to push for a House-Senate compromise budget resolution to advance President Donald Trump's agenda, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)