Nashville Kats Playoff Primer

The Nashville Kats franchise is a storied one when it comes to Arena Football. The Kats clawed their way through stiff competition in 2025 while forging a new, exciting brand of football in Tennessee. With a slow start propelled by elite-level quarterback play, arguably the best offensive line in the league, and a scrappy defense littered with playmakers, Nashville is primed for greatness in the playoffs. Let us catch you up on a wild season in Nashville that came down to some scoreboard-watching to secure the second seed in this year's playoffs! Interested in betting on Arena Football One playoff action? Head to Bettor Edge, the exclusive betting partner of AF1 to learn more!

regular season recap

The 2025 regular season started slow for Nashville. Following last-minute scheduling changes in Week 0, the Kats would drop their first Arena Football One game to the Southwest Kansas Storm. Following another loss to Albany in Week 2, Nashville got off to a rocky start. Looking at an 0-2 record, Coach Arbet and his staff needed to clean things up to get in the win column. Perhaps the biggest change after losing two straight games was the signing of Quarterback Tyler Kulka. The Kats would pick up victories in their next three contests to achieve a 3-2 record. Kulka and the offense settled in nicely, propelling Nashville towards the top of the standings at this point in the season. A Week 9 loss to the Albany Firebirds brought Nashville’s record to an even 3-3 record. Nashville made sweeping changes in all three phases that helped them right the ship in the middle part of the season.

With virtually all eight AF1 franchises still in the playoff front heading into Week 11, the Kats knew they needed to take care of business. Putting their record aside, Nashville’s brand of football was, and still is, built on efficiency. With playmakers in all three phases of the game, the Kats went 3-1 in their final four games. Offensively, Kulka and company protected the football and limited turnovers. On defense, Nashville swarmed opposing offenses and clamped down when they needed to. Special teams played a crucial role in winning three out of four to secure a playoff spot. As the clock hit 0:00 on Nashville’s Week 14 win against Corpus Christi, the Kats were staring at a 6-4 regular season record in 2025. The win guaranteed them a playoff spot, but the seeding had yet to be determined. Thanks to a thrilling, last-second win by Salina, Nashville will host an opening-round playoff game as the number two seed. Their opponent is none other than the Southwest Kansas Storm.

Like most other Arena Football One Franchises, Nashville dealt with injuries and roster changes throughout the season. While injuries occurred, the signing of excellent players only made Nashville better. Offensively, Wide Receivers Antwane Grant and Nih-Jer Jackson provided sparks (and a ton of speed) to make the Kats roar. Defensive Back Isaiah McFarland and Defensive End JaQuan Artis bolstered an already promising roster midway through the season. McFarland, who had spent the first part of the season with Corpus Christi, provided an additional weapon in the secondary. Artis was signed to provide an additional pass-rush specialist on the Kats' defensive line. Kicker Gunnar Raborn was signed midway through the season and proved to be one of the best kickers in the league. These players proved to be impact signings and helped usher Nashville toward the playoffs this season.

Veteran leaders are hard to come by in professional football. The Kats had mainstays spread across its roster this season. On offense, Wide Receiver Jordon Gandy and Offensive Lineman Bray Walker led the charge for Nashville. Gandy was among the team leaders in receptions and receiving yards, while Walker was the best OL in the league, according to many. On defense, it all started in the trenches. Defensive Lineman Roderick Perry II was the de facto leader. Defensive Backs Amos Coleman III and Kenny Veal were key contributors all season.

coach arbet's thoughts

Kats Head Coach Darren Arbet has been adamant about taking things one day at a time this season. He echoed that same sentiment on Monday in speaking with theaf1.com. In asking Arbet about how he feels about making the playoffs, Coach said “You know, that’s always the number one goal. Number two goal is to win and get into the championship. [The] third goal is to win the championship game. One down, two more to go.” The energy in the locker room and at practice has been palpable since becoming playoff bound a few days ago. “The guys have been great. They understand the opportunity that’s in front of them. They’re working hard getting ready to play four quarters of football.”

Next, we highlight Arbet’s coaching staff and the work they have put in this season. Arbet raved about his assistant coaches as they have helped Nashville get better every day. “They’re, in my mind, the best. Our OL/DL Coach, Coach Lockland, has been everywhere. Terry Foster is someone that’s really good at what he does as our Director of Player Personnel and our Defensive Coordinator. He has a pulse on the locker room, and he’s someone I go to. Anthony Payton, heck of a player back in the day in the Arena game.  He’s our Offensive Coordinator and he’s been phenomenal. Coach acknowledged the collective effort from his staff to get to this point in the 2025 season. Some self-reflection occurred next, as we asked Arbet about his thoughts on his overall performance as both the Head Coach and General Manager of the Kats. “I think we’re all judged off of championships. So, I don’t think I can answer that question just yet. That’s what we came here to do. To have an opportunity to play in that game, and I’m going to be judged off of that.”

Coach Arbet and the Kats are all too familiar with Southwest Kansas. Arbet gave high praise to many of the Storms’ top playmakers ahead of Sunday’s showdown in Clarksville. “Yeah, man, gosh. They’re DB, number 4, [Michael] Lawson. He’s one of the best players in the league. He’s special too. Their D-Line is great. [Joe] Golden and Reggie Howard, they’re really good. On offense, they have a good offensive line. Morton is playing out of his mind. [Jarius] Grissom, he reminds me of Isiah Pacheco. He can make one cut and he’s gone. Their Kicker has been great. That’s a heck of a football team. Coach Thomas has won whenever he’s been. He has really turned this program around. They definitely have our attention.”

 players to watch this postseason

As we look at the playoffs for this Nashville squad, so many players are deserving of a highlight heading into this weekend's action. Tyler Kulka’s rise to fame in Arena Football is not without hard work and dedication to his craft. Kulka finished the season with 1,781 total yards and 36 total touchdowns in eight starts. Coach Arbet has raved about Kulka’s progress throughout the season and was quoted as saying he’s “lucky he’s my quarterback.” Look for Kulka to do what he has done all season long in this weekend’s playoff game. Control the tempo of the offense. Make smart decisions with the football and score often. The Week 12 Real American Beer Player of the Week will look to lead this Nashville offense to a championship game with a win this weekend.

Flipping over to the defense, it would be impossible not to bring up one of the defensive leaders for Nashville in Defensive Back Shaun Lewis. After finishing the regular season as the only Arena Football One player with double-digit interceptions, Lewis will look to continue his historic year in the postseason. Seemingly always around the ball, Lewis has done an excellent job of making clutch plays throughout the season. Coach Arbet has spoken highly of Lewis this season, stating “Shaun has played a step above for most of the season.”

The final message from Coach Arbet ahead of Nashville’s most important game was a message to the fans. “Come to Clarksville. Get your tickets early. We sold 5,200 tickets last week. So, make sure you get them!” Coverage of this weekend's Kats versus Storm game kicks off at 5:30 PM EDT from Clarksville, TN.