Titans Reportedly Considered Firing Brian Callahan After 2024 NFL Season

There are a few NFL head coaches entering this season on the hot seat, but perhaps no one's seat is burning more than Brian Callahan of the Tennessee Titans because there was a legitimate chance he was going to be fired at the end of 2024.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Turron Davenport, Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk considered moving on from Callahan at the end of last season to completely start over.

General manager Ran Carthon, who was hired in January 2023, was fired on Jan. 7 after just two seasons with the organization.

Even though firing Callahan would have meant the Titans were seeking their third different head coach in three seasons, there's plenty of logic to the idea of having alignment between the general manager and head coach.

Carthon was the main voice in the front office when Callahan was hired in January 2024. Mike Borgonzi, who had been with the Kansas City Chiefs since 2009, was named Titans general manager on Jan. 17.

Despite the change at the top of the organization, Callahan told reporters soon after Borgonzi was hired that nothing in terms of the overall structure was different for him:

"It hasn't changed for me any. But I do think it's a smart structure when you look at everything that's out there in the world with pro football, you have guys that have a very clear line of communication, and you have guys that are very responsible for certain things. You don't have to do all of it by yourself. You have diversity of thought, different perspectives, you can make really good decisions that way. I like it, and I think it's going to be great."

The 2024 season was disastrous for Callahan and the Titans. Their 3-14 record was tied with the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants for the worst in the NFL. It also tied the franchise record for most losses in a single season.

Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker explained when it was announced that Callahan would return that he had a lot of on his plate last season as a "first-time head coach, and a first-time playcaller," but they wanted to give him the "opportunity to continue to grow" in his role.

One big factor in Callahan's future as Titans head coach will be the development of Cam Ward. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft is entering his rookie season as the starting quarterback for Tennessee.

While the level of talent around Ward is still a work-in progress for the front office, if he looks like a franchise quarterback and the offense shows signs of promise this season, Callahan can solidify his standing with the organization.