Tag: Brian Callahan

Titans HC Brian Callahan in attendance at Alabama Pro Day

Titans head coach Brian Callahan was in attendance at Alabama’s Pro Day on Wednesday.

UPDATE: According to Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon was also in attendance.

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan was in attendance at the Alabama Pro Day on Wednesday.

Callahan was spotted among the contingent that showed up to Tuscaloosa to watch draft prospects from the school work out.

Among the most notable prospects scheduled to work out on Wednesday included edge rushers Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell, offensive tackle J.C. Latham and cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry.

All five play at positions of need for Tennessee, with the Titans needing to add at cornerback, EDGE and both tackle spots.

Turner and Arnold figure to come off the board relatively early, so unless the Titans unexpectedly pass on a tackle or wide receiver at No. 7 overall or after a trade back, neither figures to land in the two-tone blue.

Latham is a more realistic possibility, but I could only see that if Tennessee trades back. While it’s possible the Titans could view him as a left tackle, Latham projects to play on the right side after doing so in college, which could be a roadblock for his chances of ending up with the Titans.

McKinstry figures to go later on Day 1 or early on Day 2, so he’s in range for the Titans in the second round (No. 38 overall). Braswell is also in range for Tennessee’s Day 2 pick.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Fantasy football reaction: 2024 NFL coaching changes recap

A fantasy football response to all of the coaching changes around the NFL.

Six of the eight new NFL head coaches are from the defensive side of the ball, which makes their choices at offensive coordinator that much more important. The two head men with a background coaching the offense — Dave Canales and Brian Callahan — both intend to call plays in addition to being their respective team’s final decision maker.

We’ll focus mostly on offensive changes for two primary factors: Fantasy defenses typically are interchangeable week to week and aren’t nearly as consequential, and defensive fantasy production tends to be far more personnel-driven than schematic success, outside of a few proven systems.

When Titans’ Callahan, Carthon will speak to media during NFL Combine

Both Titans head coach Brian Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon will speak to the media during the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

This year’s NFL Combine from Indianapolis is just days away and both Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon will speak to the media during the event.

Prospect drills don’t begin until Thursday, Feb. 29, but head coaches, general managers and prospects will address the media in the days prior — and we now know when Callahan and Carthon will have their time.

Both Carthon and Callahan will speak to the media on Tuesday, with Carthon taking the podium at 10:15 a.m. and Callahan at 10:45 a.m. EST.

Here’s a look at the full combine press conference schedule, per The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler.

You can check out the full schedule for the 2024 NFL Combine, complete with dates and times for prospect workouts, right here.

The combine is no doubt the biggest pre-draft event and it can make or break some, depending on how they perform.

But it isn’t the last chance prospects have to show their stuff, as there will be pro days between the culmination of the combine and the 2024 NFL draft, which begins on April 25.

Tennessee has a total of seven picks in this year’s draft, with one in the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds, and three in the seventh.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Titans’ Brian Callahan stresses importance of giving Will Levis input

Early on in his tenure with the Titans, it’s clear Brian Callahan has the collaborative mindset Amy Adams Strunk was looking for.

For Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan and quarterback Will Levis, communication is going to be key for their relationship moving forward.

Callahan has already started building the foundation for that relationship, as he recently revealed he was in communication with Levis during the process of hiring his staff.

“I know that as a quarterback, you’re certainly not owed those explanations, or input,” Callahan said, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTItans.com. “But I think the best relationships with head coaches and quarterbacks are ones where they are given those opportunities to share information like that. And I thought that was important to keep Will abreast of what was happening both hiring wise, where we were at organizationally, just (because) he plays a huge role in this whole thing, too.

“And so, he needs to feel like he’s got some, at least has my ear and can come to me with anything he thinks. And then I’m able to tell him, what’s happening for us. And I think that’s important, for him to feel like he’s got some involvement, some ownership, some input to what’s happening. And again, it’s not necessarily that he’s owed that. It’s just that I think that’s the working relationship that I want to have with him. And I think for me, it’s starting that precedent was the right thing to do. I think he’s appreciated it. And it’s been really fun to start to get to know him.”

Callahan noted that the approach he plans on taking with Levis as far as taking his input with play-calling and other things will be similar to the one he and head coach Zac Taylor utilized in Cincinnati with the Bengals.

“My relationship with (Will), his relationship with me and Nick (Holz) and (QBs coach) Bo (Hardegree) is going to be really a critical factor in our success,” Callahan said. “And I wanted to make sure that he feels like he has input and ownership into that process. And we can kind of build it from there and hope that he gives me the same kind of feedback I need from him, particularly when you’re talking about plays and what you like and how you like it.”

“One of the things that made (Bengals QB) Jake Browning so unique and so helpful was that we had a great relationship and rapport where he could tell me and he could tell (Bengals HC) Zac (Taylor), ‘Hey, I don’t like this play, don’t call this, without any kind of fear of retribution or ‘no you’re going to run what I tell you,'” Callahan added. “That’s not how it’s going to work. We’re going to have an input from him, and I think it’s important that he feels that willingness from me. So, we can build a successful scheme around his skill set that he feels comfortable with.”

Since hiring general manager Ran Carthon last year, owner Amy Adams Strunk has stressed collaboration. At least from the jump, it’s clear Callahan checks that box and doing so will only help his relationship with Levis.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Brian Callahan, Titans swipe coach from Bengals

The Bengals lose another coach.

The Cincinnati Bengals will lose another member of the coaching staff, as revealed by some news issued on Friday.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, new Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan will hire Colt Anderson as their special teams coordinator.

It’s a promotion for Anderson, who has been an assistant under current Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons since 2020 when he started his coaching career (he last played in the league in 2016-2017).

Spearheaded by Callahan’s departure, the Bengals have undergone a notable number of coaching staff changes after years of mostly remaining the same. They’ve made a handful of changes to the offensive side, one notable defensive move and now one on special teams, too.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Titans’ Brian Callahan talks working with his dad, Bill Callahan

Titans head coach Brian Callahan said he drives into work with his dad, OL coach Bill Callahan, every day.

One of the best things about the Tennessee Titans hiring head coach Brian Callahan was him bringing his dad and esteemed offensive line coach, Bill Callahan, with him.

During the introductory press conference for his offensive and defensive coordinators on Wednesday afternoon, Callahan touched on the process of bringing his father with him from the Cleveland Browns.

“There was a complicated process because it wasn’t something that I had anticipated him, in the moment, that that’s what he wanted to do,” Callahan said. “I wasn’t sure he would be contractually allowed to and it was a process that we had to work through with the Browns’ organization and thankfully they were… aware enough to know the uniqueness of the situation and allow it to continue to go down that road. So, appreciative of that perspective from them and allowing it to happen.”

Callahan said he and his dad drive to work together every day and added how big it is to have someone with the experience Bill has on the coaching staff.

“It’s been really fun to drive to work with him every day and do those things,” Callahan said. “It’s not something I ever thought would work, truthfully, so to be here with him is a really awesome moment for me, both as a son and as a professional because I know how much he can help us with his knowledge.”

As you’d expect, an interview wasn’t really necessary between father and son. Callahan noted that Bill was very much up for joining him in Nashville.

“There really wasn’t an interview process,” he said. “It was more he made the decision he wanted to come here to Tennessee and we went about trying to make it work.”

On top of being a great offensive line coach, Bill adds an experienced voice in the room and understands what his son is going through thanks to his own years as a head coach, both in college and the pros.

But Callahan says his dad doesn’t overstep his boundaries and knows when to chime in.

“It’s been really normal,” Callahan said. “He’s very understanding of what it means sit in the chair that I sit in every day, having done it himself. He knows when advice is welcome, he knows when he probably should leave me alone. I know when I should leave him alone, on the flip side. But it’s just been really fun for us.”

Callahan then shared a cool moment that happened late at the office one night when they were discussing ideas about a particular topic.

“He came in the office the other day — it was probably about 9 o’clock — and we were kind of finishing some stuff up and I’m sitting there throwing a softball back and forth as we’re talking about some different ideas for something.

“So, just to have that experience has been really cool and he just wants to be able to help me and to help this organization win and that part has been really fun. It’s been a really cool experience for me.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

What Titans DC Dennard Wilson, OC Nick Holz said in introductory press conference

The Titans introduced DC Dennard Wilson and OC Nick Holz in an introductory press conference on Wednesday.

The Tennessee Titans introduced offensive coordinator Nick Holz and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson during an introductory press conference on Wednesday.

But before both had the chance to speak, head coach Brian Callahan went into detail about the hiring process of his coaching staff that saw heavy involvement from general manager Ran Carthon.

“Great teachers, great leaders, excellent communicators, guys that have excellent knowledge in their respective positions,” Callahan said of the coaching staff hires, per Kayla Anderson of 104.5 The Zone. “It’s high energy, great personalities, which makes the office fun these days.”

“The process was thorough,” Callahan added. “Ran and I spent quite a bit of time together interviewing, making sure we brought guys in to speak to them. Wanted to see guys in person, wanted everybody to feel the presence in the room. It was a little bit drawn out, it’s still going — obviously there’s still hires to make — but part of that process was intentional. We were trying to make sure we got the best people we could get for our staff and for the fit on the personality side, as well.”

“Obviously, leaned heavily on Ran’s relationships,” Callahan continued. “If you all know Ran, he’s about as big a people person as there is. He’s got a ton of contacts around the league, people that he knew that I didn’t that we had conversations about. Ran was involved in all of the interviews, as well. Really good sounding board for me, really good advocate of people he knew, which was really helpful to sit and talk with him about the interview process.”

Now, a look at what Wilson and Holz had to say, as well as some thoughts from Callahan on both of his coordinators and the planned approach.

Top 3 fantasy impacts from coaching changes

Change can be a good thing, even in the first season

One of the more underrated and hard-to-calculate impacts on teams is when they choose to change their coaching staff. It may be a clean sweep or just a coordinator or two, but it does change how the offense works. Add in the change in player personnel and an offense may drastically differ from one season to the next.

2024 is yet another season of change. To date, we have eight new head coaches (1 in 4), 14 new offensive coordinators and 15 new defensive coordinators – nearly half of the league. To further show how much change is always in play, consider that only three offensive coordinators have been in that role for more than two years.

Basically, every three years there’s been an almost clean sweep of coordinators. Some are released and accept position coaching jobs elsewhere or a lucky few (or this year eight) step up into head coaching roles on the premise that success at one level means success at the next, however incorrect that typically proves.

Let’s take a quick look at the three teams that will have the best shot at a positive impact on fantasy football from their changes.

Atlanta Falcons

2023 Atlanta team rankings

ATL RUN Rank RYD Rank RTD Rank PASS Rank Rank PYDS Rank PTD Rank
QB 69 12 323 11 6 5 528 25 326 3753 22 17 26
RB 450 1 1840 4 8 17 124 6 88 751 4 6 5
WR 209 32 124 1650 32 4 32
TE 174 3 114 1380 1 7 10

Arthur Smith was the head coach for the last three seasons and each time the Falcons ended 7-10. They’ve had seven wins in five of their last six years, so there’s been no progress since 2017.  They’ve been below average with the pass and it worsened after Matt Ryan left in 2022. The overall stats from the running game were very good – Top-5 in almost every category. But the inability to pass the ball left the Falcons unable to keep up with most opponents. Today’s NFL may be pass-happy, but the Falcons never got that memo rated No. 32 dead last in every wide receiver measurement.

2023 Atlanta player stats

POS 2023 FALCONS GMS RUN RYD RTD PASS CMP PYDS PTD FF pts
QB Desmond Ridder 15 53 193 5 388 249 2836 12 239.1
RB Bijan Robinson 17 214 976 4 86 58 487 4 252.3
RB Tyler Allgeier 17 186 683 4 23 18 193 1 135.6
TE Kyle Pitts 17 1 -4 0 90 53 667 3 137.3
TE Jonnu Smith 15 1 0 0 70 50 582 3 126.2
WR Drake London 16 0 0 0 110 69 905 2 171.5

The lack of success passing to wide receivers was egregious since they drafted Drake London (1.08) as the first wideout selected in 2022. They made Kyle Pitts (1.04) the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history.  Then they made Bijan Robinson (1.08) the top running back selected in 2023. That’s expensive draft capital for elite stars. The offense has three skill players who were the best in their position coming out of college.

But the frustration for fantasy owners, and to a lesser degree Falcon fans, was Arthur Smith’s insistence to mix-and-match with running backs and tight ends, and not throw much to his star wideout. Robinson came out of Texas as the consummate workhorse back. But he only ranked No. 19 in carries despite playing in all 17 games.

Kyle Pitts opened with 1,026 yards as a rookie but disappointed the last two years. He injured his PCL and MCL in 2022 and was still trying to get past that last year. But Arthur Smith’s offense took three collegiate superstars and seemingly underused each. Or maybe relying on the third-round quarterback was complicit in the disappointment.

New: HC Raheem Morris, OC Zac Robinson

New head coach Raheem Morris was primarily a defensive coordinator for the Rams these last three years, and he was the head coach for the Buccaneers in 2009-2011 when that team went 3-13, 10-6, and 4-12. Those were the first three years for Josh Freeman at quarterback, the start of LeGarrette Blount, the disappointment of Kellen Winslow, and a few years of Mike Williams (the first one, not the current Charger) playing over his head.

But that was a decade ago. Morris was most recently directing the Rams defense including during their 2021 Super Bowl win. He tabbed Zac Robinson as the new offensive coordinator and he was the QB coach for the Rams these last three years, and their WR coach in 2020. So he has Sean McVay for an influence and more excitedly, has been immersed in the Rams’ passing game for the last four years. Granted, he didn’t make Matthew Stafford, but he’s been involved with one of the better passing offenses.

The talent is here. There is star power at every skill position other than quarterback which the Falcons are sure to address this year. Adding in their above-average offensive line and there’s the potential for major fantasy points if Robinson can get the right quarterback and optimize the talent in receivers and rushers that the Falcons already possess. It is promising that this run-first offense can change to make better use of all players and pump up the passing game that languished with Desmond Ridder and play calling that left the offense far too conservative.

Los Angeles Chargers

2023 Los Angeles Chargers team rankings

LAC RUN Rank RYD Rank RTD Rank PASS Rank CMP PYDS Rank PTD Rank
QB 79 10 372 8 4 9 630 3 408 4263 10 23 19
RB 327 27 1135 32 7 25 94 19 67 515 19 1 25
WR 386 3 251 2933 8 15 18
TE 132 8 90 854 18 8 9

This team is a little harder to unwind and determine exactly where they are at in terms of players and talent. The passing offense threw a lot of passes thanks to their own defense constantly giving up points to the opposition and turning most games into aerial war as the Chargers tried to catch up. What was odd last year was that they were the worst in the NFL in rushing yards, despite employing OC Kellen Moore who directed the No. 1 backfield in Dallas in 2022.

The failures of the Chargers were related to several key injuries that stripped the passing game of their usual production and the rushing effort hadn’t been that much anyway, but the backfield ended up with the worst rushing yardage in the NFL and then shockingly fell from being No. 1 in all categories pertaining to running back receiving to only 19th in receptions and yards to the position and only one receiving touchdown. The Chargers fell from 10-7 in 2022 to only 5-12.

2023 Chargers player stats

POS 2023 CHARGERS GMS RUN RYD RTD PASS CMP PYDS PTD FF pts
QB Justin Herbert 13 52 228 3 456 297 3134 20 277.5
RB Austin Ekeler 14 179 628 5 74 51 436 1 193.4
TE Gerald Everett 15 3 10 0 70 51 411 3 111.1
WR Keenan Allen 13 2 6 0 150 108 1243 7 274.9
WR Joshua Palmer 10 1 6 0 61 38 581 2 108.7
WR Quentin Johnston 17 3 9 0 67 38 431 2 94
WR Mike Williams 3 1 3 0 26 19 249 1 50.2

The offense underperformed across the board. There was a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore and that may partially explain why the free-fall drop in passing to running backs, but the entire offense struggled with injuries to the point that almost none of the original starters remained by season’s end.  Newly drafted wideout Quentin Johnson (1.21) was the second wideout drafted last April but was a bust as a rookie and yet the only skill player that did not miss any games.

Keenan Allen performed as well as ever until his heel injury. Mike Williams was lost almost immediately to a torn ACL. The biggest head-scratcher on the team was Austin Ekeler whose rapid decline gutted the offensive punch, particularly while they kept losing receivers. Both Ekeler and  Josh Kelley are free agents, so a makeover in the backfield is possible.

New: HC Jim Harbaugh, OC Greg Roman

Outgoing head coach  Brandon Staley was not popular. And the impact of a coach that lost the locker room cannot be understated. He was released during the season and the Chargers sputtered to a five-game losing streak to end the year. The Chargers failed expectations in every category, from a  defense that became a major liability, to a passing game that lost nearly every player along the way, to a disgruntled running back playing behind a bad offensive line and ruining whatever goodwill he had created as a top back for a few years.

Harbaugh comes in having been a head coach for the last 20 years between college stints in San Diego, Stanford, and most recently Michigan, plus four seasons leading the 49ers (2011-2014). He was never worse than 8-8 in San Francisco and three years featured at least 11 wins including 2012 when he lost the Super Bowl to the Ravens.

The ex-quarterback has his imprint on all facets of the team including the offense, though new OC Greg Roman will run the offense. Harbaugh’s time with the 49ers included seasons with Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, and late-career Anquan Boldin.

Roman brings extensive experience as an offensive coordinator. He was the offensive coordinator for the 49ers during Harbaugh’s four-year tenure there. He held the same position for the Bills (2015-2016) and was last with the Ravens for the last six years, including  three as their offensive coordinator. He stepped down after the 2022 season and now switches brothers since he coached with John Harbaugh in Baltimore and now moves to Los Angeles to rejoin Jim Harbaugh.

He spent three years with Lamar Jackson and tried to improve him as a passer while not losing the special things he did as a rusher. That had mixed results and Todd Monken stepped in as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator with better results in 2023. But Jackson is singular in the NFL, and the offense was devoted to finding how best to use him. It is notable that under Roman in Baltimore that they always employed a committee backfield with J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards (to name but two).

But in his time in San Francisco, Roman used Frank Gore as a 250+ carry back. He again had a rushing quarterback in Kaepernick but won’t have that facet to explore with Justin Herbert who returns from a broken finger but hasn’t been that much of a rusher. Herbert will be the best passer that he’s worked with.

Roman relied on Michael Crabtree heavily, as well as tight end Vernon Davis. What the offseason has to determine is what the backfield will be. It could be an all-new set of starters and unless one clearly outplays the others, a committee will almost certainly be relied on. Roman has been tied to two rushing quarterbacks but overall, he tries to optimize that the offense can do given the players. That advanced the 49ers to a Super Bowl in the past.

This team will probably be undervalued with the changes this year, but Justin Herbert brings elite passing into the equation and that always is a difference-maker.

Tennessee Titans

2023 Tennessee team rankings

TEN RUN Rank RYD Rank RTD Rank PASS Rank CMP PYDS Rank PTD Rank
QB 47 23 152 26 2 20 490 32 302 3498 25 12 31
RB 383 9 1631 11 14 7 106 10 80 599 14 1 23
WR 272 28 158 2262 24 10 24
TE 98 23 65 649 26 2 28

The six-year reign of HC Mike Vrabel wound down with a 6-11 record with a defense that was always capable and often elite if only occasionally. But his offenses were always among the most conservative in the NFL with a great offensive line and a top-notch rushing offense. The Titans have not ranked highly in passing stats for many years and their identity has long been about defense and a sound run game regardless of the direction of the rest of the league.

They threw the fewest passes of any NFL team (302) and only managed 12 passing scores. They were unable to retake leads when they fell behind from the inability to compete through the air. That was challenge enough, but a rushing game that had been elite became average despite being No. 9 in rushing attempts. The offensive line that was once an apex blocking unit declined to being one of the worst.

With no real reason to expect a turnaround from the progressively worse team, they let Vrabel go.

2023 Titans player stats

POS 2023 TITANS GMS RUN RYD RTD PASS CMP PYDS PTD FF pts
QB Will Levis 9 25 57 1 255 149 1808 8 134.1
RB Derrick Henry 17 280 1167 12 36 28 214 0 238.1
RB Tyjae Spears 17 100 453 2 70 52 385 1 153.8
TE Chigoziem Okonkwo 17 2 6 0 77 54 528 1 113.4
WR DeAndre Hopkins 17 2 9 0 137 75 1057 7 223.6

The Titans started the season with Ryan Tannehill but he injured his ankle so they finished with 2.02 pick Will Levis as hopefully the next franchise quarterback and maybe one that might reach the lofty heights of being average as a Titan pass thrower.

Levis inherited a below-average batch of receivers, with 2022 rookie Treylon Burk (1.18) disappointing as did most rookie wideouts that year, despite being the heir-apparent to A.J. Brown. Burks underwhelmed again this year with only 16 catches in nine games. DeAndre Hopkins was the big acquisition and he did manage to clip 1,000 yards and score seven times to dominate the receiving but that was just three 100-yard performances and mostly moderate yardage and no score.

Henry had been a 1,500-yard rusher during most of Vrabel’s regime but he was injured in 2021, bounced back in 2022 (349-1538-13) and then slipped back to only 1,167 yards on 280 runs while never missing a game. Henry is a free agent this season and is expected to move on.  Ryan Tannehill is also past his contract.

New: HC Brian Callahan

If you want a sign of change, look no further than new HC Brian Callahan. Under Mike Vrabel, the Titans wanted to win by running all over their opponent and then dominating with their defense. The upgrade to DeAndre Hopkins was needed and prevented the Titans’ passing game from dropping to historic lows. But Will Levis returns for his second season and this will be an entirely new offense and not just because Derrick Henry will be gone from the first time since 2016.

Callahan has been the offensive coordinator for the Bengals for the last five years. He was a QB coach for the Raiders and Lions for three years prior to landing in Cincinnati. His resume is all about passing offenses including all four seasons with Joe Burrow who has been a 4,500-yard, 35-touchdown quarterback when healthy.

Granted, Burrow was the 1.01 pick of 2020 and entered the league as the most coveted quarterback. Will Levis was the fourth quarterback selected last year but it isn’t entirely fair to evaluate him in the context of that conservative and marginally talented passing offense he had as a rookie. As with any team, the next year is all about who they keep and who they acquire.

Tyjae Spears showed some promise last season and is the apparent No. 1 back in Tennessee barring any player moves. The ex-Tulane back was the fifth running back selected (3.18), so he may have higher upside with Derrick Henry all but gone. The offensive line did no favors last year and would need to see improvement.

Callahan will get whatever he can from Levis who has  32-year-old DeAndre Hopkins in his final contract year and Treylon Burks who entered the  league as a coveted 6-3 receiver out of Arkansas who may be better than expected. He had injury issues and played in arguably one of the worst passing offenses in the league. That gets an upgrade from Callahan importing his effective passing offense from Cincy.

There’s plenty of changes on the team left to witness and that could have major impact. But the tougher challenge from a fantasy perspective is trying to unlearn just how conservative and Derrick Henry-centric the Titans have been, and rethink what the Titans can be.

Titans reveal 21 members of 2024 coaching staff

On Tuesday, the Titans revealed 21 members of head coach Brian Callahan’s 2024 coaching staff.

The Tennessee Titans have made the hires of several members of head coach Brian Callahan’s 2024 coaching staff official.

The group includes 10 new coaches, along with 11 who have been retained from former head coach Mike Vrabel’s staff, with the most notable being Chris Harris and Justin Outten.

Not included in that group of 21 are offensive coordinator Nick Holz and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, as the team had already made those hires official. Both will be introduced in a press conference on Wednesday.

While the Titans have filled several positions on the staff, there are still some roles yet to be filled, with the biggest of the bunch being the special teams coordinator role.

Now, a look at the 21 members of Callahan’s coaching staff who were made official on Tuesday.

Note: An asterisk denotes a coach who was retained from last year’s staff.

Titans’ Jeffery Simmons ready to rally the troops for Brian Callahan

Per usual, Jeffery Simmons is ready to step up as a leader with the Titans making the transition from Mike Vrabel to Brian Callahan.

Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons has been the epitome of a leader since coming to Nashville, and that has been especially true after signing a monster extension last offseason.

And Simmons is ready to step up once again in 2024 as the Titans make the transition from former head coach Mike Vrabel to new head coach Brian Callahan.

During the week leading up to the Super Bowl, Simmons said he’s ready to rally the troops around the Titans’ new head coach and has a very simple, straightforward message for his teammates.

“You know I am always that guy,” Simmons said, per team writer Jim Wyatt. “I am going to make sure I can keep the locker room tight, and make sure no matter what it might be, no matter the situation, of course we just got a new head coach, I think it’s going to be simple: Buy in or you just have to get left behind.

“For me, being a captain and a leader on this team, my job is to keep holding my end up on that,” he added. “At the end of the day, it is a new beginning for us. It’s a new chapter. We have a new head coach, so we just have to take off with it.”

Simmons has met Callahan and says he is excited for the staff he’s putting together, which includes the new defensive coordinator Simmons will play under, Dennard Wilson.

“I think coming up this season for us is it’s going to be one of those seasons where we have to really reestablish ourselves in Tennessee,” he said. “Having a chance to meet Coach Callahan in person, when I was in the building, I could tell that he is ready, he wants to win. And I am excited for the staff he is bringing in, especially with DC (Dennard Wilson) from Baltimore. I am excited, man. I think it is going to be good for us as an organization.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]