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2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

By | at February 15, 2026 10:15 pm

The 2026 head coaching carousel has now seen 10 jobs open since the start of the offseason, as the Bills have fired Sean McDermott. HC firings generally lead to coordinator changes, and several other teams have proceeded with OC or DC moves to start their offseasons. Here are the current OC and DC searches transpiring. As the remaining HC searches conclude, more coordinator searches will be added to this list.

Updated 2-23-26 (10:40pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Drew Petzing)

  • Nathaniel Hackett, quarterbacks coach (Dolphins): Hired

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Zac Robinson)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Todd Monken)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Joe Brady)

  • Pete Carmichael Jr., senior offensive assistant (Broncos): Hire expected

Chicago Bears (Out: Declan Doyle)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Tommy Rees)

Denver Broncos (Out: Joe Lombardi)

  • Ronald Curry, quarterbacks coach (Bills): Interviewed
  • Brian Johnson, pass-game coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed
  • Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Promoted

Detroit Lions (Out: John Morton)

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)

  • Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Bears): Rehired

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Greg Olson)

  • Andrew Janocko, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): Hired
  • Frisman Jackson, wide receivers coach (Seahawks): To interview

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Greg Roman)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Mike LaFleur)

  • Dave Ragone, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Title enhanced
  • Nate Scheelhaase, pass-game coordinator (Rams): Promoted

Miami Dolphins (Out: Frank Smith)

New York Giants (Out: Mike Kafka)

New York Jets (Out: Tanner Engstrand)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Kevin Patullo)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Arthur Smith)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Klint Kubiak)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Josh Grizzard)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Nick Holz)

Washington Commanders (Out: Kliff Kingsbury)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Zach Orr)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Bobby Babich)

  • Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Hired

Cleveland Browns (Out: Jim Schwartz)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Matt Eberflus)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Jeff Hafley)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Patrick Graham)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Jesse Minter)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Anthony Weaver)

  • Sean Duggan, former linebackers coach (Packers): Hired
  • Clint Hurtt, defensive line coach (Eagles): Interviewed

New England Patriots (Out: Terrell Williams)

New York Giants (Out: Shane Bowen)

New York Jets (Out: Steve Wilks)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Teryl Austin)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Robert Saleh)

  • Gus Bradley, assistant head coach (49ers): Interviewed
  • Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): Hired
  • Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Rumored candidate
  • Joe Woods, defensive backs coach (Raiders): Interviewed

Tennessee Titans (Out: Dennard Wilson)

Washington Commanders (Out: Joe Whitt)

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Giants To Hire Brian Callahan As Quarterbacks Coach

By | at February 11, 2026 7:52 am

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.

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Giants Considering Brian Callahan, Kliff Kingsbury For OC

By | at February 1, 2026 9:40 am

The Giants have added to their list of offensive coordinator candidates. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, New York has either spoken with, or plans to speak with, Brian Callahan and Kliff Kingsbury about its OC vacancy.

Callahan, 41, lasted less than two seasons as the Titans’ head coach, as Tennessee fired him before the halfway point of the 2025 campaign. Still, he earned that position on the strength of his performance as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator prior to his stint in Nashville, and he has received interest as an OC in this year’s cycle.

He interviewed for the Chargers’ position that ultimately went to Mike McDaniel, and he landed a second interview for the Bucs’ gig. Tampa Bay chose to hire Zac Robinson instead, but Callahan apparently remains well-regarded in league circles. This is despite the fact that he was a non-play-calling coordinator during his time in Cincinnati, and while he is credited for helping Joe Burrow become one of the league’s best quarterbacks, the Titans – who obviously do not boast a talent like Burrow under center – faltered with Callahan calling plays (in a failed effort to right the ship, Callahan even gave up those duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree before Week 4 of the 2025 slate).

Kingsbury, 46, enjoyed some success as the Cardinals’ head coach from 2019-22, helping quarterback Kyler Murray become a Pro Bowl-caliber player and leading the team to a playoff berth in 2021. A 4-13 showing in 2022 triggered his ouster, but he seemed to rebuild his stock as the Commanders’ offensive coordinator in 2024. That season, QB Jayden Daniels earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, and Washington made a surprise trip to the NFC Championship Game. 

Daniels’ injury-marred sophomore slate was the biggest factor in the Commanders’ 2025 regression. As such, it would not have been surprising to see Kingsbury – who spurned HC interest last year in order to continue working with Daniels – remain in place in 2026. Instead, philosophical differences with GM Adam Peters and HC Dan Quinn led to a parting of the ways.

Kingsbury nonetheless landed HC and OC interviews with both the Ravens and Titans this year. If he secures the Giants’ post, he will have the opportunity to work with another promising young passer in 2025 first-rounder Jaxson Dart, whose presence is one of the reasons why Big Blue’s HC opportunity was considered an attractive one.

John Harbaugh earned that post after his 18-year stint as the Ravens’ sideline general came to an end. As Dan Duggan of The Athletic observes, Harbaugh has generally preferred to hire OCs with play-calling experience at the professional level. Now that the Browns hired Todd Monken – who had been expected to follow Harbaugh from Baltimore to New York – as their head coach, Harbaugh will need to look elsewhere for that type of experience.

As Fowler notes in a follow-up post, the Giants are expected to bring their OC finalists to their facility for in-person interviews this week. Here is an updated look at New York’s search:

10 comments New York Giants

Bucs Set Second OC Interview With Brian Callahan

By | at January 21, 2026 12:09 pm

The Buccaneers are taking another step towards hiring a new offensive coordinator by kicking off their second round of interviews.

Former Titans head coach Brian Callahan is set for a second meeting with the team, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, which will take place tomorrow. The 41-year-old previously spent five years as the offensive coordinator on Zac Taylor’s staff, playing a major role in Joe Burrow‘s development and the overall development of Cincinnati’s offense into one of the best in the league.

However, balance often eluded Callahan’s units. He put together the Bengals’ high-flying passing attack, but could not budge their running game out of a bottom-10 ranking in his five years in Cincinnati. He also struggled to construct a consistent offensive line.

So, when Callahan arrived in Tennessee and downgraded from Burrow to Will Levis at quarterback, the cracks began to show. He no longer had one of the best QB-WR duos in the league, and he could not find a way to help Levis progress. A 3-14 record got the Titans the No. 1 pick, which they used on Cam Ward, but a 1-5 start to the 2025 season

The Buccaneers may be wondering if Callahan will be able to find more success with their talented offense. Tampa Bay already has an established quarterback, a strong offensive line, and several offensive weapons. That would allow Callahan to focus less on development and more on application of the team’s talent as they seek a return to the top of the NFC South.

Here are the rest of the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator candidates:

  • Brian Callahan, former head coach (Titans): Second interview scheduled for 1/22
  • Mike Kafka, former interim head coach (Giants): Interviewed
  • Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/16
  • Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed
  • Dan Pitcher, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/21
  • Zac Robinson, offensive coordinator (Falcons): Interviewed 1/10
  • David Shaw, pass-game coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 1/10
  • Israel Woolfork, quarterbacks coach (Cardinals): Interviewed 1/10
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Chargers Interview Brian Callahan For OC

By | at January 16, 2026 2:27 pm

Brian Callahan now appears on two teams’ offensive coordinator radars. The recently fired Titans coach discussed the Buccaneers’ play-calling position this week, and the Chargers came next.

The Bolts announced Callahan’s interview Friday. Callahan spent five years as the Bengals’ OC, a period that will help his cause more than the Titans HC tenure — one that ended after just 23 games.

This marks the first known external candidate for the Bolts’ OC post. The team previously interviewed pass-game coordinator Marcus Brady and QBs coach Shane Day for the role Greg Roman‘s firing vacated. Callahan, 41, has been an NFL staffer since 2010. He worked for the Broncos, Lions and Raiders before receiving the chance to work under Zac Taylor as Cincinnati’s OC.

Neither of Taylor’s top coordinators received too much HC consideration for years, which represented a bit of a surprise considering Cincinnati’s Super Bowl LVI appearance and berth in the following year’s AFC championship game. While Lou Anarumo called the shots on defense, Callahan served as a non-play-calling OC. Issues with play-calling and game management doomed him in Tennessee.

Prior to being canned 23 games into his tenure, Callahan handed the play sheet to QBs coach Bo Hardegree. When Callahan was fired, the Titans’ offense ranked 31st in the NFL. Granted, Tennessee only improved to 30th after Mike McCoy‘s interim stay. And the Chargers will gauge Callahan’s readiness. In Los Angeles, Jim Harbaugh serves as a CEO head coach. His Roman successor would call plays for a Justin Herbert-quarterbacked offense. That presents a strong draw, and bigger-name candidates — particularly as the HC carousel sorts itself out — figure to emerge soon.

Harbaugh employed Roman throughout his time in San Francisco and for two years in L.A., but the Chargers’ increasingly run-centric offense lost both its starting tackles — Joe Alt, Rashawn Slater — and then sputtered in a wild-card loss to the Patriots. Callahan impressed in his Bucs interview, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. It will be interesting to see if he advances far in this search and/or comes up in other OC searches yet to form.

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Buccaneers Interview Brian Callahan For OC; Mike McDaniel On Radar

By | at January 9, 2026 4:40 pm

Nearly three months after his Titans firing, Brian Callahan has resurfaced on the coaching radar. The Buccaneers announced they have interviewed the veteran staffer for their offensive coordinator position.

The interview, which took place Friday, is the Bucs’ first since they fired Josh Grizzard after one season in the role. Callahan has six seasons as an NFL OC under his belt, but he is coming off a rough Titans stint that ended midway through his second season at the helm.

Callahan went 4-19 as Titans HC, with the hire reflecting poorly on Amy Adams Strunk seeing as she fired Mike Vrabel — rather than trading his rights — in order to get a jump on the 2024 coaching market. Vrabel is one of the favorites for Coach of the Year honors after going 14-3 with the Patriots. Callahan’s status changed when the Titans fired the GM who hired him (Ran Carthon), elevating Chad Brinker to president of football operations and hiring Mike Borgonzi as GM. Six games into his second season, he was out.

The Titans had struggled during Will Levis‘ disappointing second season as the starter, and they were not showing many signs of life to start the Cam Ward era. Tennessee ranked 31st in scoring offense through six games this season; Mike McCoy‘s interim HC stint only brought the team up to 30th, however. Still, Callahan has been off the radar since the Titans bailed on him early.

A non-play-calling OC for six seasons in Cincinnati, Callahan had helped develop Joe Burrow into a superstar. The Bengals made back-to-back AFC championship game appearances, but Zac Taylor did not see either of his coordinators hired as a head coach until 2024. Callahan, 41, has no history with Todd Bowles or Jason Licht.

While the Bucs have interviewed Callahan, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington notes they are one of the teams eyeing Mike McDaniel for an OC post. McDaniel is a name to keep an eye on for the Bucs, per Darlington, though other teams are believed to be interested in the recently fired Dolphins leader for an OC role. The Titans, however, have scheduled a meeting with McDaniel to discuss the job Callahan recently held. The Browns are also believed to be considering McDaniel for their HC position, though no interview has been scheduled yet.

The prospect of McDaniel staying in Florida would be interesting, as would him agreeing to sign up for a team with a head coach on the hot seat. Then again, the Bucs have promoted from within to fill their HC job twice in the past decade, elevating Dirk Koetter and then Bowles in that span. Working with Baker Mayfield and an array of skill-position talent would naturally be appealing as well, but the McDaniel market is crowded presently.

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Brian Callahan Fallout: Titans, Adams Strunk, Holz, Carthon, Brinker, Quinn

By | at October 15, 2025 9:50 pm

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.

6 comments Tennessee Titans

Titans Fire HC Brian Callahan

By | at October 13, 2025 11:08 pm

The first head coaching change of the 2025 season has been made. Brian Callahan is out as the Titans’ coach, the team announced on Monday.

“After extended conversations with our owner and general manager, we met with Brian Callahan this morning to tell him we are making a change at head coach,” a statement from president of football operations Chad Brinker reads in part. “We are grateful for Brian’s investment in the Titans and Tennessee community during his tenure as head coach. We thank him and his family for being exemplary ambassadors of the Tennessee Titans.”

[RELATED: Titans Name Mike McCoy Interim Head Coach]

Hired in 2024 after a highly-regarded run as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator, Callahan was tasked with overseeing an offensive turnaround in Tennessee. That did not take place during his first season at the helm, but the decision to select Cam Ward gave the Titans a new signal-caller to build around. Six games in to the No. 1 pick’s career, a change is now taking place on the sidelines. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports Tennessee’s preference was to avoid an in-season firing, but that stance shifted over the past few weeks.

Today’s announcement comes after talk about a Callahan dismissal increased over the early portion of the campaign. The 41-year-old handled offensive play-calling duties through his first season at the helm and the opening three games of the 2025 slate. Following a winless start, though, Callahan handed the reins to QBs coach Bo Hardegree. Moves such as those are often made in an attempt to increase a head coach’s job security.

Indeed, it was reported earlier this month Callahan and the coaching staff felt the front office was quickly losing patience. After Sunday’s game – a 20-10 loss against the Raiders – Callahan’s record fell to 1-5 on the year and 4-19 overall. Tennessee ranks 31st in the NFL in scoring and 26th in points allowed. After also struggling in both of those capacities last season, Callahan will not receive any further opportunities to improve.

In general, this dismissal adds further to the long list of organizational changes made in recent years by the Titans. Owner Amy Adams Strunk has overseen a slew of hirings and firings in short order dating back to the closing stages of Mike Vrabel‘s head coaching tenure. Not long before Vrabel was fired, general manager Jon Robinson had been dismissed. Robinson was replaced during the 2023 hiring cycle but Ran Carthon, but he too was let go this past offseason.

Tennessee hired Mike Borgonzi as Carthon’s replacement in January at a time when Brinker took on an elevated role in the organization. He and Borgonzi will look to provide stability with the Titans on track for their fourth consecutive losing season. It is unclear at this point who will take over on an interim basis, but senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy has head coaching experience. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson and special teams coordinator John Fassel are other internal candidates.

Regardless of what happens in the near term, the Titans’ search for a new full-time head coach will be critical. A top priority for Callahan’s replacement will of course be maximizing Ward’s potential and helping the offense take needed steps forward. The search on that front will begin early, and it will be interesting to see which candidates the team looks to speak with first.

Working closely alongside Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, Callahan spent five years in Cincinnati as the team’s offensive coordinator (albeit without calling plays). Another coordinator opportunity could await him in the future, but given the nature of his first head coaching spell a second chance in that capacity may not be coming any time soon. In the meantime, the Titans will prepare for their Week 7 game at home against Vrabel’s Patriots.

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Titans’ Coaching Staff Growing Uneasy?

By | at October 2, 2025 10:57 pm

The Titans have nosedived since their 2021 divisional-round appearance brought nine Joe Burrow sacks but a Bengals win. Since, the team has finished 7-10, 6-11 and 3-14. This season shows no signs of that trend reversing, as Tennessee is 0-4 and coming off a shutout loss.

Houston blanked its division rival in a 26-0 Week 4 result, and Tennessee has lost three of its four games by at least 14 points. The Titans rank 32nd in offense and 28th defensively. Finding bright spots is difficult here, leading to natural speculation Brian Callahan is coaching for his job. Some internal buzz further points to that.

Entering Week 5, moderate concerns exist among the Titans’ coaching staff the front office may not be as patient as initially believed, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Although Titans brass came into the season confident Callahan could turn the ship around and did not set a win-loss benchmark for its coach to keep his job, per Fowler, team brass obviously wants to see an improving squad. That has not happened, and Fowler indicates the feeling around the league points to the temperature rising here.

Deck chairs are already being rearranged. Callahan benched himself as play-caller, going around his OC (Nick Holz) to give the duty to QBs coach Bo Hardegree. This reminds of an ill-conceived 2022 Broncos setup, when Nathaniel Hackett turned to QBs coach Klint Kubiak over OC Justin Outten due to the former’s play-calling experience. (Denver fired Hackett after Week 16; Outten was in Tennessee weeks later.) Holz’s lack of play-calling experience compared to Hardegree, the Raiders’ interim OC during the second half of the 2023 season, influenced Callahan’s call.

Hardegree’s debut with the call sheet did not go well, and Cam Ward then criticized his play and the performance of the team as a whole postgame. The Titans’ minus-69 point differential is the league’s worst, and a defense that ranked second in yardage in Dennard Wilson‘s debut (as Will Levis‘ poor play contributed to the team’s 30th-place scoring defense ranking) now sits 25th.

Callahan is also in the interesting position of being a second-year coach for a team that made another power-structure shift this offseason. Ran Carthon hired Callahan last year, but Amy Adams Strunk fired Ran Carthon in January, promoting assistant GM Chad Brinker to president of football operations. Brinker was in Nashville when Callahan was hired, but he had been operating as Carthon’s top lieutenant at the time. Brinker being promoted to control the Titans’ roster was somewhat eyebrow-raising after a 3-14 season, but he and new GM Mike Borgonzi are not tied to Callahan in the way Carthon was.

In a normal circumstance, offensive line coach Bill Callahan‘s past as a head coach (with the Raiders and at Nebraska) would make him a candidate as an interim option. Bill Callahan served in that capacity after Washington fired Jay Gruden in 2019. Bill being Brian’s father would certainly make it shocking if he stuck around, however, leaving an experience void for the Titans were they to can the younger Callahan (and likely lose Bill from the staff as well).

Neither Wilson nor Holz has conducted a head coaching interview previously. Senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy served as Chargers HC for four years; he could be an emergency option.

Even if Brian Callahan shows some improvement, he is certainly a long-odds candidate to be given a third season. Game management issues have cropped up during the former Bengals OC’s tenure as well, and Ward would need to show major improvement to convince Adams Strunk — who has acted rather impulsively in the past, with the Mike Vrabel and Jon Robinson firings preceding Carthon’s two-and-done stint — to stay the course beyond 2025.

23 comments Tennessee Titans

AFC South Rumors: Caserio, Callahan, McNair

By | at September 28, 2025 10:11 pm

The Texans enjoyed a nice run of success with playoff appearances and wins in each of the past two seasons led by head coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback C.J. Stroud. Year 3 with the duo has been less than ideal with a 1-3 start making a postseason run a daunting task, but some blame seems to be falling on general manager Nick Caserio, according to ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime.

The biggest weakness of last year’s team was an offensive line that gave up the third-most sacks in the league in 2024. This year’s biggest weakness, per Bien-Aime, is still the offensive line. Aside from right tackle Tytus Howard, the entire starting five across the line is different this year from last. This required Caserio and Co. to sign left tackle Cam Robinson and left guard Laken Tomlinson in free agency, trade for Ed Ingram, and draft Aireontae Ersery in the second round of the draft, while also trading away Laremy Tunsil, whom Caserio extended shortly after his arrival.

The lack of improvement along the line could be the result of several factors, but Bien-Aime suggests that Caserio’s inability to build a better line for his quarterback could have him on the hot seat. Bien-Aime points at another failed offseason move — the trade for (and eventual release) of veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson — as another strike against the third-year exec. The recent evidence does seem to show evidence of some poor personnel decisions, but it will be interesting to see if Caserio continues to receive blame for the team’s lack of growth in Year 3.

Here are a couple other staff rumors from around the AFC South:

  • In the same ESPN article, other contributors were putting another AFC South staffer on the hot seat. Turron Davenport and Seth Walder each made comments concerning the job security of Titans head coach Brian Callahan. There’s no debate that Callahan’s team lacked elite talent in Year 1, but a slew of penalties added on to the team’s struggles to give them the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The undisciplined penalties have continued heavily in Year 2, and just this week, Callahan relinquished play-calling duties in an effort to open up the offense more for his rookie quarterback. Davenport suggests that controlling owner Amy Adams-Strunk has made impulsive decisions in the past — pointing to the departure of former head coach Mike Vrabel, as an example — and suggests further that a loss to Vrabel in Week 7 could mean the end for Callahan’s tenure in Tennessee. Walder agrees that “questions of whether he’s the right coach will only get louder with each successive loss.”
  • Lastly, going back to Houston, Cary McNair, son of the late Texans founder Robert McNair and brother of team owner Cal McNair, is reportedly accusing the NFL and his brother of engineering his “ouster” from the Texans and other McNair family business interests, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports. Cary’s representative, Tony Buzbee, became well-known for representing clients against Deshaun Watson. Buzbee claims that Cary began “asking pointed questions that potentially implicated the NFL and its personnel.” The questions pertained to both the Texans’ and the league’s handling of the Watson scandal and their handling of the sexual assault scandal of Texans minority owner Javier Loya, as well. Cary levies a number of other allegations, asserting that the NFL and his brother pushed him out for challenging their acceptance and tolerance for alleged abhorrent behavior. He’s seeking more than $60MM in direct financial losses.
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