Todd Downing‘s Friday DUI arrest is the subject of an internal Titans investigation and an NFL probe. The Tennessee offensive coordinator could face league discipline, and depending on the results of the league’s inquiry, the Titans could as well.
For now, however, Downing remains in place as Tennessee’s OC. Though, Mike Vrabel was quick to caution that status depends on the findings of these investigations. A Downing suspension under the league’s personal conduct policy will likely commence at some point, but nothing will presumably come to pass until his criminal case concludes.
“We’ll continue forward with how things work with Todd as our offensive coordinator, but those things can change,” Vrabel said, via The Nashville Tennesseean’s Nick Suss. “I want to make sure everybody understands that. At any point in time we can hear from the league. The legal process, those things can obviously change. I want to make sure everybody understands that.”
After their Thursday win at Lambeau Field, the Titans landed back in Tennessee at 2:11am CT. Downing was pulled over for DUI at 3:49am. This timeline has led to obvious speculation the 42-year-old assistant was drinking on the team plane. In light of the revelation that Britt Reid was drinking at the Chiefs’ facility before his car accident that led to a 4-year-old girl suffering severe injuries, the NFL figures to take this matter seriously. Players and coaches are prohibited from consuming alcohol in team settings. The NFL, however, has not disciplined the Chiefs in connection with that 2021 incident. It will be interesting to see how the league’s Titans investigation unfolds.
The Titans brought Downing back to the OC level last year, promoting him from tight ends coach to replace Arthur Smith, who had also climbed from tight ends coach to play-caller to Falcons head coach. Downing did not fare well as the Raiders’ OC in 2017, a one-and-done stint in that role, but has resurfaced calling plays for the AFC South-leading Titans. Downing has been an NFL assistant since 2005, but this arrest could certainly affect his career trajectory.
If this was a player he’d be out of a job..
Depends how good he is at his job. J Allen wouldn’t be cut if he had 1 too many after the Bills next W.
If he weren’t an NFL coach (or affluent), he’d serve real time. He and Britt will golf for 1 yr and head home to “perfectly” funded lives.
I don’t make the laws or pay the lawyers.
Steve Keim DUI and is still GM
If they didn’t penalize the chiefs where an accident happened and a girl was hurt, they cannot penalize the titans. NFL and other major sports needs to understand penalize early bc once you don’t it’s sets a precedent, one that only hurts you. Idc if xyz player or coach makes you money, stand up to it first. The Celtics handling of ime is a great precedent forces teams in the future to act or face far harsher consequences
And then a different team immediately hires or signs them. So why get rid of a guy if it just amounts to virtue signaling. Discipline is fine but there’s gotta be a human element, people aren’t perfect. Quick suspensions make sense but too many people call for people being fired right away.
Not a topic I believe needs a devils advocate. Aside from the criminal aspect, does he have no respect for the team? The other coaches and players have worked their asses off all season long, and 3/4 of the way through, one grown man (with ample resources to Uber home) is too stupid or prideful to catch a ride home with the other 100 people there. I’d want my OC to be neither stupid nor selfish. This guy is at least one.
The public has a short memory and owners know that as long as the team is winning the fans don’t care how many coaches or players on the roster have served suspensions.
The Titans “investigation” will drag out and when things cool down in the early spring he will be disciplined internally. The old boys club take care of their own.
“His judgement is much better on the field…” – Vrabel
One of the worst OC’s in the league getting a pass on a serious issue that could have harmed innocents? Say it ain’t so, Titans. Addition by subtraction with this one.