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The Tennessee Titans enter the 2025 season with some promise — namely, first-overall draft pick Cam Ward. But if the Titans can improve from a dismal 3-14 season a year ago, Brian Callahan may get to keep his job.
Callahan had been the Cincinnati Bengals' offensive coordinator for five years when the Titans hired him to be their new head coach following the 2023 season. Unfortunately, year one of the Callahan era was an unmitigated disaster that ended with the firing of Tennessee executive vice president and general manager Ran Carthon. However, it notably did not end with the firing of Callahan.
While it is unusual for NFL head coaches to be fired after just one season, it is certainly not unprecedented. And with the Titans firing their top front-office executive and getting the No. 1 pick in the draft, which enabled them to draft Ward as their franchise quarterback, it would not be without reason to bring in a new head coach to guide Ward.
The Titans, though, decided to stick with Callahan.
“There was consideration given to completely cleaning house and sending Callahan on his way along with Carthon, multiple Titans sources confirmed,” ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Turron Davenport wrote. “Callahan and Carthon had a close relationship, and having the No. 1 pick gave Tennessee an opportunity to bring in a new general manager, coach and rookie quarterback at the same time.
“But the front office took an honest look at the talent on the roster and factored that into Callahan's record in his first season. The front office didn't lose sight of Callahan being one of the league's in-demand coaching candidates when the Titans hired him.”
It does not, from Fowler and Davenport's reporting, seem like Callahan's seat is cool by any means. In fact, Chad Brinker, the Titans' president of football operations, said that “we're going to need to see that growth” from Callahan while explaining why the team retained the 41-year-old coach.
Ward has played five series through the first two preseason games, showing flashes of the physical attributes and potential that earned him the No. 1 pick status.
The Titans finish up the preseason on Friday vs. the Minnesota Vikings before opening the regular season on the road in Denver vs. the Broncos on Sept. 7.
