Titans Hire Robert Saleh As HC
Robert Saleh was expected to be choosey with his second head coaching opportunity, but the 49ers’ defensive coordinator has made a decision to dive back in after one season. The Titans are hiring Saleh as their next head coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team has since confirmed the news.
Saleh, 46, impressed the team’s decision-makers during his interview Monday in Tennessee. He was originally scheduled to speak with the team virtually on Sunday, but the two sides pivoted to an in-person meeting that could not take place until the following day due to league hiring rules.
The race appeared to be down to Saleh and Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who was set for his own in-person interview with the Titans on Tuesday. Nagy was the rumored frontrunner as of Monday afternoon, though Saleh was on the radar as a finalist over the weekend. Saleh won over owner Amy Adams Strunk and general manager Mike Borgonzi to become a head coach for the second time in his career. Saleh had an in-person interview with the Cardinals on Tuesday, but the Titans have convinced him to pass on that meeting.
Borgonzi was leaning toward Nagy, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, but ownership’s preference for Saleh ultimately (and unsurprisingly) won out. Davenport sent a follow-up tweet clarifying Saleh impressed Borgonzi, who then voiced his support for this hire rather than reuniting with Nagy. Considering Strunk’s recent history with hirings and firings, it will be interesting to learn if Borgonzi was leaning strongly in the direction of hiring his former Chiefs coworker. Both Nagy and Saleh were second-chance candidates. The Titans interviewed or sought to interview 15 such options, prioritizing experience.
Saleh’s first opportunity as a head coach came with the Jets. Like his new job in Tennessee, the New York stint followed a successful run as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, a position Saleh first held from 2017 to 2020. He was Kyle Shanahan‘s first hire when he took over as San Francisco’s head coach, and the two worked together to turn the league’s bottom-ranked defense into one of its best. By 2019, the transformation was complete, and another strong year in 2020 turned Saleh into one of the hottest head coaching candidates in the 2021 hiring cycle.
The Jets swooped in with a five-year contract, and Saleh moved to New York with the goal of turning the hapless franchise around. But, like several other coaches before him, he could not get the job done with the AFC’s Big Apple franchise. He finished with a 20-36 record before he was fired midway through the 2024 season, his fourth as head coach.
Saleh’s tenure with the Jets was heavily impacted by the team’s inability to land a solid quarterback. General manager Joe Douglas used the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft to select Zach Wilson, but the BYU product never came close to meeting his billing.
New York’s offense, coordinated by fellow ex-Shanahan assistant Mike LaFleur, struggled through two seasons with Wilson as a starter before Douglas pivoted to Aaron Rodgers in 2023. As part of their play for the MVP quarterback, the team mutually agreed to part ways with LaFleur to recruit former Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett immediately after his disastrous year as the Broncos’ head coach. Rodgers tore his Achilles on the fourth Jets offensive play of the 2023 season, and the Jets’ offense collapsed with Wilson back under center.
On defense, however, Saleh was able to replicate his work in San Francisco. The Jets finished 32nd in points and yards allowed in his debut year and fourth in both categories in his second. Another strong year in 2023 was wasted after Rodgers’ injury, and Saleh was then fired after a 2-3 start in 2024. Many saw the decision from owner Woody Johnson as an unfair one, as Douglas had been the driving force between acquiring Wilson and Rodgers. Saleh did not receive a full season with the latter, and his 7-10 showings with Wilson under center have aged pretty well.
Saleh signed on as a consultant with the Packers for the rest of the 2024 season before returning to San Francisco in the offseason to retake his former job. The 49ers’ defense did not have the same statistical results in 2025 as their previous top seasons under Saleh, but he coached his way through injuries to several key players. San Francisco lost All-Pros Nick Bosa and Fred Warner early in the season but still finished 12-5 and stifled the Eagles’ offense in the first round of the playoffs. The 49ers, who also lost first-round defensive end Mykel Williams, finished last in sacks but still ranked 13th in points allowed. Though Saleh’s defense allowed just 281 yards in the divisional round, turnovers from San Francisco’s offense led to a 41-6 victory by the Seahawks.
Saleh will have a chance to shape a franchise that does not have many long-term cornerstones outside of rookie quarterback Cam Ward and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Tennessee is projected by OverTheCap to have almost $100MM in 2026 cap space and is slated for the fourth pick in April’s draft.
Saleh’s first order of business will be filling his new staff. His long history in the NFL gives him plenty of relationships with other coaches around the league, especially those also branching off of Shanahan’s tree. Saleh will likely prioritize hiring his offensive coordinator, as he is expected to call defensive plays in Tennessee, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. In New York, he handed that job off to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, and though the unit excelled, Saleh felt disconnected from the game, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel could be the first name on Saleh’s list of OC candidates. The two worked together in San Francisco, with McDaniel staying one year longer before he took the job in Miami. They could reunite in Tennessee, per SNY’s Connor Hughes, which would create one of the most exciting head coach-coordinator duos in the league.
Saleh and McDaniel worked together for four seasons in San Francisco. The latter is still up for HC jobs and has been tied to a few OC positions as well. He would certainly be a prime option to coach Ward given his success revitalizing Tua Tagovailoa‘s career earlier this decade.
Connected to the Tennessee job since Brian Callahan‘s firing, Nagy suddenly stands on unstable terrain. He coached this season without a contract for 2026, and the Chiefs hired his predecessor — Eric Bieniemy — to replace him as OC today. It had looked like Nagy would land in Nashville for a bit, and a second interview being scheduled only reaffirmed that expectation. Now, Nagy — who returned to Kansas City as quarterbacks coach under Bieniemy in 2022 before replacing him in ’23 — is a coaching free agent.
Strunk has struggled with big-picture decisions in recent years. She famously fired GM Jon Robinson months after extending him and then fired Mike Vrabel following the 2023 season. She refrained from a true attempt to trade Vrabel in order to get in on the 2024 HC market from the jump. Her Callahan hire backfired, with the Titans giving him only 23 games. Strunk also fired GM Ran Carthon after two years, hiring Borgonzi. The latter snared roster control from president of football ops Chad Brinker after the 2025 season and ran the coaching search.
It is rather interesting to see the Titans hire Saleh before meeting with Nagy a second time, but they will head in a defensive direction — as they did with Vrabel — with Saleh becoming Borgonzi’s first hire as a GM.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Titans Setting Up Second HC Interviews For Three Candidates
With Mike McCarthy visiting today, Jonathan Gannon arriving in Nashville tomorrow, and Robert Saleh interviewing tomorrow virtually, the Titans are wrapping up their first round of head coaching interviews. Tennessee is moving on to the second round of their process, scheduling interviews with Kevin Stefanski, Matt Nagy, and Jeff Hafley, per Titans insider Paul Kuharsky.
There’s a bit of concern that Stefanski may not end up making his appointment. The former Browns head coach is scheduled to arrive in Nashville tomorrow, but he’s spending today conducting his second interview with the Falcons. Reports today have indicated that Stefanski is the “top candidate” in Atlanta, and since the team has met the interviewing requirements of the Rooney Rule, there’s nothing stopping them from offering him a contract today.
If news comes out over the next several hours that Stefanski is staying in Atlanta, it would be the second time Tennessee will have been stood up for a second, in-person head coaching interview. The team’s first brush with that type of misfortune came when John Harbaugh cancelled the Titans’ in-person meeting in Baltimore after spending the day before with the Giants and ultimately accepting New York’s offer.
There’s a chance the same issue could arise in Hafley’s situation, as well. The Dolphins boldly pronounced the Packers defensive coordinator as their frontrunner today ahead of his Monday second interview in Miami. Hafley’s Green Bay ties to new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan could have Hafley desiring a reunion with his former coworker. The Titans have Hafley’s second interview schedule for the following day, so there’s a non-zero chance Tennessee could see the same situation play out three times with three coaches coming off the board after prior-day visits with three other teams.
Both candidates have reason to hear out multiple offers, though. Like Harbaugh, Hafley is currently considered to be a favorite with any team that has interviewed him. Stefanski also has his fair share of suitors, so if the Falcons and Dolphins don’t seem to be going all-out like the Giants did for Harbaugh, it would probably behoove Hafley and Stefanski to allow other teams to throw out competing offers.
With all this in mind, the Titans may want to schedule Nagy’s second interview as soon as possible. The Chiefs offensive coordinator doesn’t have any second interviews scheduled elsewhere, so at the moment, he would be the least likely candidate to accept another team’s offer the day before his second interview with the Titans. Nagy only interviewed for the Jets job last year, so his four interviews and his advancement to the second round of interviews in Tennessee this year show him moving in a positive direction as he continues to work his way back from his four-year stint as a head coach in Chicago.
As the Titans move into the next phase of their hiring process, team owner Amy Adams Strunk will be getting involved. Throughout the initial interviews, general manager Mike Borgonzi has led a four-person committee thus far. The decision will still be left to Borgonzi, but Adams Strunk will have final approval of his choice. They’ll just have to hope that they get opportunities with Stefanski, Hafley, and Nagy so that their decisions don’t become limited as a result of other teams eliminating their options.
Titans Owner Amy Adams Strunk Will Give ‘Final Blessing’ In HC Search
11:45am: The Titans have rounded out their group of executives who will participate in initial interviews, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. A list that unsurprisingly includes Brinker and assistant GM Dave Ziegler. Vice president/football advisor Reggie McKenzie – a former Raiders linebacker and general manager – will also join, as will vice president of player personnel Dan Saganey.
10:35am: Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk announced a front office reshuffle in Tennessee on Friday, but she is expected to remain a part of the team’s search for a new head coach.
Both Mike Borgonzi and Chad Brinker are remaining in their respective positions as general manager and president of football operations, but Borgonzi will lead the hiring process in the coming weeks.
The Titans will conduct virtual interviews with about a dozen candidates, per Titans insider Paul Kuharsky. Strunk will not sit in on those interviews, though she may review them for in-person interviews of the team’s shortlist. Those she will attend.
This largely resembles the team’s approach to landing on Borgonzi last offseason. Brinker led that process, but Borgonzi received approval from Strunk before the hiring was made official. Similarly, she will give a “final blessing” for the Titans’ new head coach.
The extent of Strunk’s input on the Titans’ new coach remains to be seen. She has not been afraid to impose her will on the franchise when it comes to coaching and front office decisions, all the way down to specific moves regarding specific players. That was a source of friction with Mike Vrabel, who did a lot with a little in Tennessee, and ultimately led to his removal.
As a result, head coaching candidates may be wary of Strunk’s tendency to impose her will on the team. They may use their interviews to gauge compatibility not just with Borgonzi and Brinker, but Strunk as well.
Brian Callahan Fallout: Titans, Adams Strunk, Holz, Carthon, Brinker, Quinn
The Titans made the first major coaching change of the 2025 season this week by firing head coach Brian Callahan.
President of football operations Chad Brinker said (via Main Street Media’s Terry McCormick) the team wanted to give the first-time head coach some time to grow into his role, but the current power structure did not see enough progress with only four wins in his first 23 games.
In fact, the Titans appeared to be regressing in Callahan’s second season in charge. They went 3-14 in 2024 with Will Levis under center, and despite adding No. 1 pick Cam Ward this offseason, they were 1-5 to start this year. That one win was the result of multiple late fumbles by the Cardinals, too.
Desperate to turn things around, Callahan surrendered play-calling duties ahead of Week 4 and gave them to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree. In doing so, Callahan passed over offensive coordinator Nick Holz, a longtime friend dating back to their high school playing days, believing he was not ready, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Hardegree will retain play-calling duties under interim HC Mike McCoy.
At that point, the “writing was on the wall” in Tennessee, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, with other coaches preparing for what seemed to be an inevitable firing. In fact, Callahan seemed to be on the hot seat when the Titans fired general manager Ron Carthon during the offseason. Callahan himself “never felt like he was on solid footing after that,” per Jones.
The rapid removal of Callahan less than two years into his tenure begs the question: why did the Titans hire him in the first place? He began his NFL coaching career in 2010 for the Broncos, and after stints in Detroit and Oakland coaching quarterbacks, he was hired to be Zac Taylor‘s first offensive coordinator in Cincinnati.
The Bengals emerged as one of the league’s top passing offenses after adding Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins in 2020 and 2021 with a Super Bowl appearance in the latter year. The unit continued to produce in 2022 before stalling in 2023, largely due to Burrow’s injury.
The Titans, meanwhile, appeared to be searching for an offensive coach after parting ways with the defensive-minded Mike Vrabel. Then-Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald offered a strong interview, but the Titans wanted to move in another direction.
Former Falcons head coach and then-Cowboys DC Dan Quinn also interviewed, but owner Amy Adams Strunk was put off by past defensive collapses in the playoffs, including the 28-3 Super Bowl loss to the Patriots and, more recently, a 48-point performance by the Packers offense in Dallas, Jones adds. Quinn’s lack of a vision for his offensive coaching staff – which, at the time, did not include Kliff Kingsbury – further pushed him out of consideration.
So, largely due to the Bengals’ success on offense, the Titans added Callahan to their shortlist, and his resume and experience impressed the team’s decision-makers enough for him to win the job. It is not hard to imagine Tennessee looking for a young, offensive-minded disciple of a successful head coach to help find the long-term quarterback stability that eluded the club for the last decade.
It is worth noting, however, that Taylor called the offensive plays throughout Callahan’s Cincinnati tenure, an early sign the five-year OC may not have been ready for the big job. In Tennessee, he was learning to call plays as he took on the complex, all-encompassing duties of a head coach, and it showed.
Adams Strunk’s influence cannot be understated, either. She has not been in the team’s facility this week and rarely presents herself as the face of the franchise, per Jones, but her fingerprints are over their recent decisions. Adams Strunk restructured the front office last year, moving Brinker from assistant GM under Carthon to his current role over him. Hired by Carthon in 2023, Brinker now controls the Titans’ 53-man roster.
This offseason, Adams Strunk fired Carthon and replaced him with Mike Borgonzi, who brought in his own personnel team. Brinker and Borgonzi said they would lead the search for the next head coach, with Callahan’s firing described as the “last cleanup” before the duo can establish their own era of Titans football, per Fowler.
However, Adams Strunk and her desire to avoid negative media coverage will still play a role. The Titans just drafted a new franchise quarterback with the No. 1 pick and are opening up a new stadium in 2027, but their on-field woes have drained the excitement out of Nashville, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Their new coach will be expected to get the best out of Ward and start winning games quickly, but would-be hires may not want to operate under such expectations, especially given the Titans’ short leash for their leadership.
Furthermore, McCoy does not seem the kind of high-profile, energizing hire that Tennessee is looking for, but the franchise’s last three interims (Mike Mularkey, Jeff Fisher, Jerry Glanville) have taken over the full-time gig, per veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky. Though, teams have gravitated away from elevating interims to full-time status. It has only happened once (Antonio Pierce) in the past eight offseasons.
The Titans have months to organize and conduct their head coaching search, likely with the intention for a more thorough process than last time and potentially with the desire for more experience and stability in the top job.
Chad Brinker Confirms Personnel Control With Titans; Mike Borgonzi To Run Draft
Chad Brinker has made an interesting climb in Tennessee. He is the last man standing from a triumvirate that included GM Ran Carthon and assistant GM Anthony Robinson, being given authority to hire a GM of his own.
Mike Borgonzi is now in that chair, being hired from the Chiefs last week, but Brinker confirmed Wednesday (via TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick) he has final say over the Titans’ 53-man roster. Elevated to president of Titans football operations last year, Brinker said (via veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky) he did not have full control in 2024.
Regardless of Brinker’s responsibilities last year, his Nashville rise has been interesting. The Titans had Brinker and Robinson as co-assistant GMs in 2023, but Brinker rose above the ex-Falcons exec last year. That climb eventually included Carthon being fired after two years on the GM. Hours after that news broke, the Titans fired Robinson as well. Brinker is still standing, however, and is leading the Titans in a pivotal offseason.
Tumbling to 3-14 in Brian Callahan‘s first season, the Titans hold the No. 1 overall pick. It will be expected Brinker plays a significant role in the Titans’ draft, but the team’s current personnel boss said Borgonzi will run that process. That undoubtedly provided appeal for Borgonzi, who follows Brandt Tilis as Kansas City execs to leave despite not being given final-say authority elsewhere. Tilis joined the Panthers as Dan Morgan‘s top lieutenant last year.
Brinker added (via SI.com’s Albert Breer) that Borgonzi will lead Tennessee’s free agency effort as well. Borgonzi confirmed this, via ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport, classifying Brinker as having the tiebreaker. This is a similar setup to the Seahawks’ long-running Pete Carroll–John Schneider arrangement, where the HC held the tiebreaker while the GM made the acquisitions.
Although Brinker classified Carthon as a friend, the team president said the Titans’ free agency strategy last year lacked some discipline. Carthon’s second offseason as GM involved a number of big-ticket contracts handed out. The team signed the likes of Calvin Ridley, Lloyd Cushenberry, Chidobe Awuzie and Tony Pollard before trading for L’Jarius Sneed and giving him $44MM at signing. Awuzie, Sneed and Cushenberry missed much of the season due to injuries, with Ridley and Pollard’s 1,000-yard showings unable to do much for Will Levis‘ development.
Carthon’s leadership notwithstanding, Brinker was certainly a key player in Tennessee’s 2024 strategy. He will be given another chance. The draft will be the centerpiece area for the Titans, who have seen Levis’ struggles create a quarterback need. Although Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders will be closely linked to the Titans at No. 1, in all likelihood, Brinker added (via Titans.com’s Jim Wyatt) the team will not force a quarterback over “a generational talent” at 1.
That path is a bit more interesting this year, as neither Sanders nor Ward are viewed as players who would have been candidates to infiltrate the Caleb Williams–Jayden Daniels–Drake Maye top three of 2024. But two-way phenom Travis Hunter will be available. The Colorado product is a mortal lock to go in the top five, with cornerback being viewed early as his most likely NFL position (though, that is not yet set). Still, Hunter being deemed a far superior prospect to Sanders and Ward would put the Titans to a fascinating decision — one that would please the QB-needy Browns and Giants (at Nos. 2 and 3).
Amy Adams Strunk‘s fingerprints are the clearest on the Titans’ mid-2020s decline. The owner fired GM Jon Robinson months after giving him an extension. Disagreements with Mike Vrabel led Adams Strunk to fire the former Coach of the Year following the 2023 season. The Titans are now in rebuild mode, only with a number of Carthon-approved contracts on their books for the 2025 campaign.
Brinker acknowledged the Titans’ front office hierarchy is “unique,” though he indicated Borgonzi will still carry considerable authority. Adams Strunk, however, does not want too much say on football matters, Kuharsky adds, further cementing Brinker as the organization’s current cornerstone decision-maker.
Borgonzi’s presence notwithstanding, it will be on the former Packers exec to make the final calls on a Hunter-or-QB decision at No. 1. With Adams Strunk firing two GMs and a head coach between December 2022 and January 2025, Brinker may well be moving toward a hot seat. Thus far, though, he has survived during the team’s decline.
Titans Considered Firing Mike Vrabel In 2023; HC Sought Full Roster Control
Mike Vrabel interview requests have not come in yet, but they almost certainly will soon. The well-regarded HC is done after six Titans seasons, with Tennessee’s 2023 offseason laying the groundwork for Tuesday’s firing.
Confirming a previous report of Vrabel preferring Titans interim GM Ryan Cowden over Ran Carthon for the full-time post, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Jon Rexrode report Vrabel suggested to Amy Adams Strunk the team make Carthon the assistant GM due to not viewing former the ex-49ers No. 3 exec — behind John Lynch and Adam Peters — as ready for the GM role (subscription required). With Strunk not taking kindly to that suggestion, it does not appear she and Vrabel’s relationship bounced back.
Despite the report of a rift between Vrabel and Carthon, the latter was not involved in the firing, according to Russini and Rexrode. Carthon came to Tennessee after six years in San Francisco, being hired Jan. 17, 2023, and the former 49ers director of pro personnel interviewed for the Cardinals’ GM vacancy last year. Peters declined both Arizona and Tennessee’s requests; he is now a finalist for Washington’s director of football operations post.
The Titans began to tear down their previous power structure by firing Jon Robinson in December 2022, doing so 10 months after extending the GM through 2027. While Vrabel is not connected to pushing Robinson out, the six-year HC subsequently made his case for full roster control, according to The Athletic, believing he had done enough to earn it. Strunk did not want to give a head coach such power, citing issues with Jeff Fisher having control during the latter part of his Tennessee tenure.
This request and Vrabel’s stance on Carthon appears to have damaged his relationship with ownership, with Russini and Rexrode adding Strunk did not view the head coach as showing sufficient faith in her. This did not lead to Vrabel wanting out, however, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler noting the defense-oriented HC wanted to give the Titans another year — trade rumors notwithstanding — and that Strunk orchestrated this decision.
Strunk considered firing Vrabel last year, Russini and Rexrode note, but still believed in him as a head coach. Her goal was to start fresh at that point, though she had previously authorized a through-2025 extension for the former linebacker. Additionally, the Titans’ next draft will be the first one Carthon runs. Cowden is believed to have managed the Titans’ 2023 draft board for continuity purposes. Teams often move on from scouts and executives after the draft in order to not shake up things before big-picture investments are made, but it is a bit unusual another strong candidate for GM to wield such control. The Titans fired Cowden soon after the draft; he is now with the Giants.
The Titans’ 2023 draft looms large regarding their long-term future. The team was involved in trade talks with the Cardinals in Round 1, with the pre-draft target being C.J. Stroud, and did move up for Will Levis the following night. Carthon said Tuesday the team will hire a head coach that is interested in developing Levis and also alluded to first-round pick Peter Skoronski being an option (via Titans.com’s Jim Wyatt) to become the team’s long-term left tackle. The Titans kept Skoronski at guard during his rookie season, though the Northwestern standout played only tackle in college.
Fall developments also played a role in Vrabel’s ouster. Strunk had planned to keep Vrabel as recently as November, but it appears the last straw was the Titans’ 19-16 overtime loss to the Texans in Week 15. That is viewed as the point Strunk was ready to move on, Vrabel’s three straight playoff appearances (from 2019-21) notwithstanding. Strunk was also not thrilled about Vrabel’s trip to Foxborough during the Titans’ bye week, according to The Athletic. The Patriots inducted Vrabel into their Hall of Fame that week, and he was seen sitting with Robert Kraft during the ensuing Buffalo-New England game in October.
Strunk’s firing record, which includes canning Mike Mularkey after a divisional-round appearance, has led to an impulsive reputation. The Vrabel move, despite the Titans’ sub-.500 record over the past two years, will not help on that front. A number of teams are likely interested in Vrabel as a head coach option, and Bill Belichick‘s exit would put the Patriots — who have viewed Vrabel as a potential “home run” hire — atop that list. The Commanders, Chargers and Raiders could also have interest, Russini and Rexrode add. It will be interesting to see if Vrabel seeks major personnel input with his next team.
Titans Fallout: Vrabel, Adams Strunk, Carthon, Trade, Levis, Henry, Cowden, Pats
The most surprising of this year’s head coach firings came out of Nashville. Although steady smoke about Mike Vrabel discontent emerged over the past several weeks, the Titans were connected to a trade — not an outright firing. But the organization took the latter route Tuesday morning. Vrabel is out after six seasons.
The Titans considered making a concerted effort to trade Vrabel’s rights elsewhere, as the Saints did with Sean Payton last year. But controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said the team did not want to risk a lengthy trade negotiation, during a search in which interested teams would also need to comply with the Rooney Rule, delaying the team from finding a suitable Vrabel replacement. This led to the firing, with Adams Strunk informing Vrabel today.
“Yes, we thought about it, but at the end of the day, with league rules the way they are, it would have maybe put us back three weeks,” Adams Strunk said during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone of a trade. “Honestly, to get the right head coach, I was not willing to go to the back of the line and take a chance of missing out on someone we really wanted.”
Rumors of a rift between Vrabel and first-year GM Ran Carthon had surfaced, and while Carthon attempted to shoot those down, Adams Strunk said the team wants “an aligned and collaborative team across all football functions.” Vrabel also may have sought more of a say in personnel, per SI.com’s Albert Breer. The Titans gave their veteran HC such input when they fired Jon Robinson in December 2022, but the team added Carthon and assistant GMs Chad Brinker and Anthony Robinson this offseason. Both Vrabel and Carthon reported to Adams Strunk. Tennessee’s ensuing moves provided a rebuilding outlook, something that might come to fruition this year.
Furthermore, Adams Strunk did not choose the GM candidate Vrabel wanted last year. Vrabel is believed to have preferred the team to elevate interim GM Ryan Cowden to the full-time role, according to the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin. Vrabel and Cowden shared responsibility to close out last season, following the surprising Jon Robinson ouster. Vrabel and Robinson had signed extensions in February 2022; Robinson’s went through 2027, Vrabel’s through ’25. Cowden ended up with the Giants this past offseason.
Not in the meeting when Adams Strunk fired Vrabel, Carthon will lead the Titans’ HC search, the Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. The ex-49ers exec said others will be part of it. Tennessee’s assistant coaches will be retained until a new coach arrives.
While Carthon said a Will Levis-centered approach will not drive the search, the young GM did point out (via TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick) the team will seek a head coach willing to work with the 2023 second-round pick. Ryan Tannehill is a free agent in March and appears likely to join Derrick Henry in leaving. Although Henry being handed a microphone to thank Titans fans after the season sends a pretty clear signal he intends to move on after eight seasons, Carthon said the door is not closed on a third Henry contract.
Adams Strunk has now fired both the pillars who helmed the Titans to three playoff berths from 2019-21, with Robinson also in place for the team’s 2017 sojourn to the divisional round. She has developed a reputation as impulsive, Breer adds. With the Titans coming off back-to-back losing seasons, the second-generation owner will assemble a new power structure. She did not confirm who would report to whom just yet.
Regarding the obvious Vrabel fit, the Patriots should be considered likely to express interest. Bill Belichick has been connected to every non-Titans HC opening, and while not all of the teams with vacancies may ultimately be interested, it does seem some interest would be out there. The Patriots’ goal could soon be to hire Vrabel, who is now available without draft picks changing hands, and trade Belichick. That would leave Jerod Mayo, who held the inside track on being Belichick’s heir apparent when Robert Kraft stepped in and authorized an extension last year, on the outside looking in. But Vrabel — a Patriots mainstay from 2001-08 — has been connected to the Patriots for months, being viewed as a “home run hire.”
Helping to smooth out this process: Belichick and Vrabel share an agent, Volin adds. Belichick is aiming to stay on in New England for at least one more season, and he sounds willing to adjust the personnel aspect of his job. One season remains on Belichick’s contract. It still sounds more likely than not the legendary HC will be elsewhere next season, and the separation process is expected to take some time. Vrabel being unattached, however, could conceivably expedite these proceedings.
Vrabel: Was Not Included In Jon Robinson Firing Decision
Mike Vrabel stands to inherit more decision-making power with the Titans going forward, with seven-year GM Jon Robinson now out of the picture. Vrabel and VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden are running the show presently.
But the fifth-year coach insists he was not part of the process that led to Robinson’s surprising ouster. “I was informed of the decision. This wasn’t a decision that included me,” Vrabel said (via NBC Sports’ Peter King). Vrabel and Robinson signed extensions in February. Robinson’s runs through the 2027 draft; it is a good bet Vrabel’s aligns with that since-discarded contract.
Amy Adams Strunk decided to make the change after studying Robinson’s moves, and the owner curiously cited the Titans’ run of player unavailability — leading to inflated IR contingents over the past two years — as part of the reason Robinson is out. While the Tennessee owner said she had made her decision prior to A.J. Brown‘s two-touchdown performance against his former team, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes the Titans’ loss to the Eagles did play a role in the dismissal.
Tennessee’s losses to Cincinnati and Philadelphia were part of the reason Adams Strunk cut bait so soon after authorizing the extension, Jones adds, noting this firing is not believed to have come about because of a power struggle between Robinson and Vrabel. Adams Strunk said she wanted the Titans to be regarded as one of the NFL’s elite teams. Despite an injury-affected 2021 Titans edition earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed, she cut the cord and will look for a new decision-maker to pair with Vrabel.
Robinson hired Vrabel in 2018, and the two have never had a losing season together. The Titans are coming off three consecutive playoff berths. Though, their Week 14 loss to the Jaguars does open the door to a once-seemingly insurmountable AFC South lead slipping away. The Titans (7-6) still have a two-game division lead.
Vrabel will be included in the Titans’ GM search, however, and Jones adds it is clear he will be more involved in personnel decisions henceforth. It will be interesting to see if Vrabel will also have final say over the Titans’ 53-man roster in 2023. The reigning NFL Coach of the Year has gained considerable respect around the league during his Nashville stay, but Robinson’s firing shocked executives around the league.
Firing a GM without a losing season on his resume during a season does represent an interesting look for the Titans, especially so soon after greenlighting an extension. The Titans’ GM search will obviously generate extensive attention once it begins in earnest.
Titans Owner: A.J. Brown Game Did Not Factor Into GM Decision
While A.J. Brown‘s performance in his first game against the Titans did not represent a good look for his first NFL franchise, Amy Adams Strunk said the game did not factor into her decision to fire GM Jon Robinson.
The Titans owner indicated her decision to can the seventh-year GM was already made, despite having signed Robinson to an extension in February. Rumored to be displeased with the state of her team’s roster, Adams Strunk preferred to let Robinson go early rather than going through a lengthy delay.
“I’d already made my decision,” Strunk said, via the Associated Press’ Teresa Walker. “A.J. had a great game. More power to him, but that didn’t actually have anything to do with that.
“… Once I made the decision, I was like, ’I can’t sit on it. I’ve got to go ahead and do it to be fair to Jon.′ I don’t know how many weeks we have left in the season. There could be a lot more hopefully in our season, and it just didn’t seem like the right thing to do to drag this along.”
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Adams Strunk confirmed she was in the loop on the negotiations that led up to the draft-night Brown trade, Walker adds, but after studying Robinson’s body of work — from drafts to free agency to season performances — she opted to cut bait. This comes after Robinson, teaming with HCs Mike Mularkey and Mike Vrabel, did not have a losing season while running the team. The Titans went 3-13 the season before Robinson’s hire.
The timing here is obviously interesting, with Robinson’s recent extension running through the 2027 draft. Ownership’s decision here has dismayed many around the league, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes (subscription required), adding that Robinson should not have trouble landing another high-profile position soon.
“I told the fans from the very beginning that I want to win it all, and I want to be one of those elite teams that people are always scared of, and it’s my responsibility,” Strunk said. “And eventually it’s up to me to make those kind of decisions that get us there.”
Tennessee has advanced to three straight playoff brackets, earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed — for the first time since 2008 — last season. The Titans flamed out immediately after their bye, losing to the Bengals despite sacking Joe Burrow nine times. The 2019 team did upset the Patriots and Ravens en route to the AFC championship game, however. This year’s squad has lost two straight, but with the rest of the AFC South either rebuilding or underwhelming, the Titans (7-5) remain on track to make another postseason berth.
Robinson, who fired Mularkey after back-to-back winning seasons, made a number of solid draft choices to help put the team in position to contend after Ryan Tannehill‘s 2019 arrival via trade (for fourth- and seventh-round picks). The team has never extended one of Robinson’s first-round picks, however, and the 2020 Isaiah Wilson whiff represented one of this era’s worst draft choices. The Titans have also seen a number of players go on IR over the past two seasons; their 16 players on IR leads the NFL this year. Adams Strunk mentioned the number of players the injuries have forced the Titans to use, per Walker, who notes the team has used 76 players this season. Tennessee set an NFL record by using 91 last year.
Adams Strunk did not mention offensive coordinator Todd Downing‘s DUI arrest or the NFL investigation that emerged in the aftermath as a reason for the firing. That brought another major headline for the team due to the timing between the Titans’ plane landing from Wisconsin and Downing’s arrest. Downing remains in place as OC, though Vrabel said that could change depending on the investigation.
This surprising decision also did not come about because of a Vrabel ultimatum, Adams Strunk added. Vrabel and VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden will coordinate personnel moves for the rest of this season. Adams Strunk did not rule out the Titans waiting until after the Super Bowl to make the right hire, if necessary, and Walker adds Vrabel will be involved in the process.
Latest On Titans’ Jon Robinson Firing
Going through with one of the most surprising in-season transactions in recent years, the Titans fired Jon Robinson just less than 10 months after announcing he and Mike Vrabel had signed extensions. Robinson’s contract runs through the 2027 draft, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (on Twitter).
While it is fair to wonder if this about-face stemmed from a sudden development, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter noted during an NFL Live appearance that is not believed to be the case. Owner Amy Adams Strunk has become unhappy about the state of Tennessee’s roster, Pelissero adds, with Schefter adding she was not pleased in being left out of the loop on certain matters.
This firing coming so soon after an extension invites speculation about the role the A.J. Brown trade played. The Titans had begun conversations with Brown about an extension, and Robinson said the team “want[ed] to keep A.J. a Titan” in April. By draft night, however, the winds shifted and the Titans sent Brown to the Eagles for a package headlined by the No. 18 overall pick. Brown said the Titans did not approach his asking price, failing to offer $20MM per year, and mentioned the team would not have needed to hit the Eagles’ eventual price ($25MM AAV, receiver-record $56MM fully guaranteed) to finalize an extension.
Brown shredded his former team in an eight-reception, 119-yard, two-touchdown performance Sunday, and the Titans have not been able to replicate what the former second-round pick had offered them. Robert Woods has produced close to his Rams-era numbers since being acquired for a sixth-round pick, and while Treylon Burks has shown flashes, the first-rounder has missed extensive time. The Commanders, Seahawks and 49ers did not follow the Titans’ lead; each team extended their respective No. 1 receivers (Terry McLaurin, D.K. Metcalf, Deebo Samuel) rather than punt on their contract years. Brown’s Eagles contract ended up being the template each of those NFC squads used to wrap up their respective receiver extensions.
Robinson also drafted the likes of Derrick Henry, Kevin Byard, Harold Landry and Jeffery Simmons, and he landed Ryan Tannehill for fourth- and seventh-round picks. That trade gave the Titans an out on Marcus Mariota, and Tannehill’s return to health led to the Titans advancing to the AFC championship game for the first time since 2002. Robinson had never completed a losing season as Titans GM, despite the team going 3-13 the year before he arrived, and Tennessee is on track to secure a fourth straight playoff berth.
Then again, the Titans swung and missed on some first-round picks. Corey Davis did not become a No. 1-caliber wideout, despite being chosen fifth overall, and cornerback Caleb Farley has not earned a starting role upon returning from his rookie-year ACL tear. Robinson let both Davis and 2016 first-rounder Jack Conklin walk in free agency. The Conklin decision led to a revolving door at right tackle and preceded the team’s most infamous draft miss. The Titans’ 2020 first-round choice — tackle Isaiah Wilson — saw action on four plays as a rookie and never played again.
Still, this firing took many around the league by surprise, according to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora and The Athletic’s Mike Jones (Twitter links). Robinson hire Vrabel is set to see his role expand, confirming Wednesday he and interim GM Ryan Cowden will collaborate on the team’s decision-making for the rest of the season.