FEBRUARY 11: The Giants are hiring Callahan as their QBs coach and passing-game coordinator, per Garafalo and NFL Network colleague Ian Rapoport.
FEBRUARY 10: Brian Callahan has been unemployed since his tenure as head coach of the Titans ended midway through the 2025 season. The veteran staffer was also shut out of the offensive coordinator hiring cycle. 
Nevertheless, Callahan may soon have his next gig lined up. He will interview with the Giants for the role of quarterbacks coach, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. That is a position familiar to Callahan. The meeting will take place today, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan adds.
After entering the NFL coaching ranks in Denver, Callahan worked as a QBs coach with the Lions for two seasons (2016-17). That was followed by a one-year stint with the Raiders in the same capacity. Callahan was then hired by the Bengals to serve as their offensive coordinator in 2019; he remained in Cincinnati for five years before receiving his first head coaching opportunity.
Callahan did not call plays over the course of his Bengals tenure, but he was tasked with guiding the Titans’ offense upon arrival in 2024. Tennessee went 3-14 during the 41-year-old’s first (and only) full season at the helm. Tennessee got off to a 1-5 start in 2025, resulting in Callahan’s dismissal. No interest in any of the league’s 10 HC openings emerged in his case during this winter’s hiring cycle.
Callahan did find himself on the radar of multiple teams during their searches for an offensive coordinator, however. That included a connection to the Giants while they contemplated their options upon finding out Todd Monken would no longer be available. New York wound up hiring Matt Nagy as OC, giving John Harbaugh an experienced member of his staff. Callahan would represent another veteran presence for the Giants.
2025 first-rounder Jaxson Dart took over starting duties after Russell Wilson was benched early this past season. The development of Dart, 22, will be the franchise’s top priority while Harbaugh and Co. aim to lead the Giants back to contention. That effort could soon include Callahan handling an important role in New York.
The nepotism and hook a buddy up problem in the NFL needs to be looked at. You can’t tell me that there is no college coaches looking to get a chance, fresh blood is needed.
I know it won’t change as the two SB teams had both on the staff. Seahawks(Harbaugh and Kubiak have blood lines) & Pats McDaniels and probably some others.
Unless you look at a guy like Charlie Weis Jr, you don’t give a college coach “a chance” with a franchise QB. You go with experience. The Callahan family has a long history with the NFL.
Wait, does he have experience or does he have lineage? Those aren’t the same thing. He didn’t call plays in Cincinnati and he was a disaster in Tennessee. He shouldn’t get credit for other family members’ experience.
Vrabel just went to the Super Bowl after leaving Tennessee. Tennessee is a disaster all its own. Callahan has 15 years of NFL coaching experience and so what that he didn’t call plays? Many teams do not have their OC call plays and this is not an OC job anyway.
I’m not saying he’s unqualified to be on a staff, but he’s still an example of the nepotism pipeline.
As you mentioned, Seahawks just won SB with a Harbaugh and a Kubiak.
Shanahan has been a good coach. LaFLeur and the older Harbaughs have been successful. Maybe there should be MORE hires like that–Teams want to win. Just like any other business, people who grew up in the business have advantages that often can lead to success.
Personally I would rather have some level of nepotism. Most first time head coaches have no idea what it’s like to be the man at the top. Joseph, Callahan come to mind. At least a brother or son has experience being around someone who has been there done that. Also, anyone can say what their plans are when interviewed, but knowing how to implement said plans are what takes finesse so none of your star players get butt hurt. Zac Taylor had no idea what he was doing ( I still think he’s useless) and if he hadn’t been blessed with Joe Burrow and two of the most talented receivers in the NFL he would have flushed out long ago. He has five basic plays and sticks to them religiously. The Harbaughs are obviously talented, Bum Phillips and Wade Phillips likewise, and there are many others. But it also boils down to, DO You want win or wait around while your head coach figures it out? I would rather have someone with an idea of what’s going on, and has more than two years as a quarterback coach, or run game coordinator. The players respect someone was had been there done that, but if he’s young and inexperienced the players see him as more of a friend or buddy, not the head man in charge. These are my opinions, you can take them or leave them, don’t care either way.