NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- When Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan approached the podium after his 13th loss of the season Sunday, the emotional toll from a frustrating season was written all over his face as Year 1 nears its end.

Entering the final week of the season, the Titans (3-13) would have the No. 3 pick in the draft if the season ended today behind the New England Patriots (No. 1) and the Cleveland Browns (No. 2), according to ESPN Analytics. But Tennessee, which has the second-best odds of securing the No. 1 pick (11.6%), can still get the top spot if it loses to the Houston Texans and if the Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.  

But what happens if the Titans win? It could knock them as far down as seventh in the draft order depending on other results.

Losing on purpose would be a hard sell to players. Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons scoffed at the idea of purposely losing to get a better draft pick.

"I would tell any coach or GM that told me they'd sit me so we can tank and get a higher draft pick to get me out of here," Simmons told ESPN. "I don't want to be a part of no tanking situation."

Simmons said he has never been in a situation where winning could be a detriment. However, some Titans players have seen this before.

In Callahan's first season as the Bengals' offensive coordinator in 2019, Cincinnati headed into its Week 16 matchup against the Miami Dolphins with a 1-13 record. Current Titans receiver Tyler Boyd was a bright spot on that team and was on his way to posting his second consecutive 1,000-yard season.

A change from quarterback Andy Dalton was imminent, and while the Bengals desperately needed a quarterback, so did the 3-11 Dolphins.

Cincinnati was caught in a race with Miami, the Detroit Lions, New York Giants and Washington to secure the league's worst record and have the No. 1 pick. After trailing the Dolphins 28-6 to start the third quarter, the Bengals stormed back -- including two touchdown receptions from Boyd -- and forced overtime. Miami ultimately won 38-35 after kicker Jason Sanders' 37-yard field goal.

The Bengals clinched the top pick with the loss, as they had the league's worst record that season, and the Dolphins ended up with the No. 5 pick. The teams selected quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa, respectively.

Boyd remembers the feeling entering those final weeks of the 2019 season. He wanted to win those games even if it impacted the team's draft pick.

"Tank for what?" Boyd told ESPN. "They don't know how good the guy is going to be. One guy isn't going to fix all your problems and your record."

While Burrow didn't fix all of the Bengals' problems, he has been a catalyst in the franchise's improvement.

Now, Callahan finds himself in a similar situation with the Titans.

Callahan made Mason Rudolph the starter after he came in for struggling second-year quarterback Will Levis during the Titans' 37-27 loss to the Bengals in Week 15. Rudolph mounted somewhat of a comeback against Cincinnati's defense, which ranks 29th in points allowed per game (26.1), but still fell short.

 

In the next two games, Rudolph combined for three touchdown passes and four interceptions in losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars.

This week, Callahan will use both quarterbacks in the season finale. If Callahan thought Rudolph gave the Titans the best chance to win, is he waiving the surrender flag by playing both quarterbacks?

"It'd be different had we won two games in a row with Mason, then I'd probably stick with him for the last game," Callahan said. "At the end of the day, we didn't win. I don't think there'll be any issue with that."

What the Titans will do at quarterback in the future remains a question. They set out to build around Levis and get a full evaluation of him this season. Although there are factors beyond his play, what they've seen this year shouldn't give them confidence that he's the franchise quarterback moving forward. Meanwhile, Rudolph is a pending free agent who appears destined to remain a high-level backup.

Winning is always good for an organization, but what implications would it ultimately have for the Titans this week? 

"I understand trying to get a draft pick," Simmons said, "but I'm not here to lose games."