Roughly one week after Tennessee Titans fired Ran Carthon, he will appear on the Ramon, Kayla & Will show in his first public appearance.
It’s been roughly a week since the Tennessee Titans and Ran Carthon parted ways, thus beginning the search for a new general manager. Carthon has been relatively quiet since his departure, but that will change on Monday when he appears on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon, Kayla & Will show.
Carthon was hired in 2023 after Jon Robinson was fired because the Titans close out 2022 with seven straight losses. He inherited Mike Vrabel as a coach and together they won six games in 2023. Vrabel was fired after that season and Carthon helped bring in Brian Callahan, but the Titans were actually worse in 2024 than in 2023, which is what ultimately led to Carthon’s firing.
His appearance on The Zone today will be Carthon’s first public appearance since his firing. We’ll get to hear his side, his take on how things went down and maybe get some insight into what the Titans’ thought process going forward. He is set to be on the Ramon, Kayla & Will show for the entire 9:00am CST hour.
McKenzie is an interesting name. The executive currently serves in the front office of the Miami Dolphins and was the GM of the then-Oakland Raiders for seven years.
McKenzie’s time in Oakland did not exactly go flawlessly. The team had a pick inside the top 15 of the draft in five of McKenzie’s seven seasons. However, the GM did select notable talents like Amari Cooper, Khalil Mack, and Kolton Miller.
Although the former Raider GM’s name is not the sexiest, I believe McKenzie would be a great fit alongside Chad Brinker in the Titans’ front office.
McKenzie, like Brinker, spent years with the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a model NFL franchise. The team is stable and almost always field a competitive roster. Thus, it’s not a surprise that teams like to poach from Green Bay.
McKenzie was with the Packers from 1994-2011. The executive began as a pro personnel assistant and ended as the director of football operations. The Packers won two Super Bowls during that time, so McKenzie knows what winning teams look like.
Brinker and McKenzie were together in Green Bay from 2009-11, so the men have some level of familiarity.
McKenzie has Tennessee roots
Reggie McKenzie. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
McKenzie was born and raised in Knoxville and played at the University of Tennessee. McKenzie’s son, Kahlil, also played for the Volunteers. The executive has Tennessee roots, which means you’d think he’d have a vested interest in returning his home state’s team to glory.
Hiring McKenzie could also help bridge the gap between Titans and Vols fans. The Vols are one of the most passionate fanbases in college sports, and the Titans would be wise to lean into their state’s college team more.
There are many dual Titans-Vols fans, and they would be ecstatic to see a VFL leading the charge in Nashville.
The move has not only set off a firestorm on social media; it has many in the fan base and potentially even players contemplating the franchise’s direction. Tennessee appears rudderless, and there are even more questions today.
However, most of the attention was given to Colorado head coach Deion Sanders; Deion Sanders reacted to the Titans firing GM Ran Carthon, who reacted with a shocked emoji on X after the news broke. In many ways, it is understandable with his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, a potential target for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft in April.
But some players joined in on social media, upset by the move. Rookie cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. is one who jumped out with his frustration with the news that the team had parted ways with general manager Ran Carthon after just two seasons. Posting multiple things on X including one with the red flag emoji warning of danger.
Brownlee Jr. later deleted the post with a red flag emoji and followed it with a different tweet, but the damage was done.
On all accounts the players loved Ran, so not surprised to see these type of reactions… pic.twitter.com/TexIaS1R1u
Brownlee might be right; these are dangerous times for a franchise that has been extremely unstable in recent seasons. It would be an understatement to say things have been rough over the past few seasons, and their moves show a lack of direction and stability. Since 2022, the Titans have now fired two general managers in Jon Robinson and Carthon, and a head coach in Mike Vrabel. Not to mention the uncertainty this move places on Brian Callahan.
Maybe others should follow Brownlee and raise a red flag because this turmoil isn’t going to help the Titans solve the problems that led to a 9-26 record over the past two seasons.
Deion Sanders, father of potential No. 1 pick Shedeur Sanders, reacted to news that the Tennessee Titans fired GM Ran Carthon.
The Tennessee Titans made a shocking move on Tuesday when they parted ways with general manager Ran Carthon.
The move adds more questions than answers to what was already set to be a tumultuous offseason. The 3-14 Titans had a ton of problems and major changes were coming, but this wasn’t one that many saw happening.
Yes, Tennessee was bad under his leadership. Not only did the team go 9-25 over his two years at the helm, but he missed on both high-priced free agents and draft picks. Still, for a team that is poised to select first in the 2025 NFL draft, this move could have a lasting imprint.
There is no doubt that the Titans have a lot of needs heading into the draft season. Offensive tackle and quarterback definitely sit near the top of every list. One prospect that many fans covet is Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and this change caught not only his eye but the eye of his NFL Hall of Fame father, Deion Sanders.
This may not be a good sign for Titans fans who want to land Shedeur or his teammate Travis Hunter. Coach Prime’s shock and subsequent post on X definitely speaks volumes and will echo throughout the draft season.
Sanders has become a polarizing figure in college coaching circles since rising through the ranks and eventually landing at Colorado, but he has also been outspoken when talking about the importance of stability and culture when asked about Hunter or Shedeur’s final draft destination. This move screams dysfunction within the organization, not stability, and it likely will have ramifications that linger well into the offseason.
It is still early in the process, but the Titans need to move quickly to repair the optics created by this move. If they don’t, there may be darker days ahead.
Previous general manager Jon Robinson was fired at the end of 2022 and former head coach Mike Vrabel was fired almost exactly one year ago. So, it’s safe to say the Titans’ organization has been shaken up quite a bit over the last three years.
The firing of Carthon was not completely surprising. When a team finishes with a 3-14 record and earns the top pick in the draft, it’s unsurprising to see people lose their jobs. However, it was quickly reported that first-year head coach Brian Callahan was safe. So, why Carthon and not Callahan?
Did Carthon deserve to be fired?
GM Ran Carthon of the Tennessee Titans. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Carthon was at the helm for two drafts with the Titans. Thirteen players were selected in those two drafts, and the results have been mixed.
Arguably, the biggest reason for Carthon’s firing is Will Levis’ poor play. Carthon selected Levis in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, and the team hoped the quarterback would lift them out of purgatory.
Instead, the Levis experiment has gone as poorly as possible, and now the team is looking for a new signal-caller again. One has to imagine that Carthon would still have a job if Levis panned out.
The 2024 class has produced better results. T’Vondre Sweat and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. were arguably two of the best players on the roster as rookies, and Carthon should get credit for that. However, when your team is this bad, a couple of hits can’t make up the difference.
Did Carthon deserve all the blame, though, for the terrible season? Absolutely not. The team failed to improve as the season went on and actually looked worse. Callahan failed to develop the players on the roster at all, which can’t be blamed on the GM.
It would have made more sense if Callahan and Carthon had both been fired. I could understand keeping both or getting rid of both. Canning Carthon and keeping Callahan seems like setting up the former GM as the scapegoat, which leads me to my next point.
Will anybody even want this GM job?
Owner Amy Adams Strunk of the Tennessee Titans. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Football is one big fraternity. People talk, and owners and franchises get reputations placed upon them. Football people will see the turmoil that’s embroiled this franchise, and some will likely not want to touch this job with a ten-foot pole.
Carthon was fired after just two seasons, which is almost unheard of for a general manager. Why would a general manager want to take a job if he knows he may not even get to see it through? An NFL team and a vision cannot be firmly established in just two seasons.
Making matters worse is that both Robinson and Carthon received extensions one season before their firing. This means being in Amy Adams Strunk’s good graces one day doesn’t guarantee long-term job security. Who would be comfortable with that?
Amy Adams Strunk has made the Titans a laughingstock
Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
Amy Adams Strunk became the controlling owner of the Tennessee Titans in March 2015. Since then, the team has a 78-86 record. The Titans have made the playoffs just four times in that span and haven’t been since the 2021 season.
Since 2022, the team has received the most publicity for the following things:
Trading away two future Hall of Fame wide receivers (AJ Brown and DeAndre Hopkins)
Firing two general managers in just over two years
Firing Mike Vrabel
Letting Derrick Henry leave in free agency
Earning the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft
Building a massive new stadium when the current stadium already gets taken over by opposing fans
That’s pretty much it. Not a lot for Titans’ fans to smile about of late, and it’s hard to see much getting better. The worst part is that the team EXPECTED to be good in 2024. You don’t spend a quarter of a billion dollars in free agency if you expect to finish with the worst record in football.
This is a directionless franchise. And the worst part? The owner won’t even talk to the media unless she absolutely has to. Carthon was also excellent at avoiding the media, only holding four press conferences during his entire tenure.
Move over, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and New York Giants. The Tennessee Titans are the newest and biggest dumpster fire.
Firing GM Ran Carthon a year after giving him a lucrative contract extension shows how unsteady the Titans are at the top
Put any of those ideas of what the Tennessee Titans might do with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on hold. There will be a different person making that pick than has been expected.
In an odd move, Titans ownership fired general manager Ran Carthon on Tuesday. This comes after the same ownership gave Carthon a lucrative contract extension a year ago and opened up the purse strings to allow him to build the team as he saw fit following the departure of longtime head coach Mike Vrabel.
Now, Carthon is out after the Titans fell from 6-11 in 2023 to 3-14 in 2024 and it became increasingly obvious that they didn’t have their long-term solution at quarterback. After tabbing Will Levis in the second round of 2023, Carthon won’t get a second chance in Tennessee to fix the problem.
The Titans offseason needs haven’t changed with Carthon’s firing. But now there is the variable of the unknown GM commodity who will be making the pick at No. 1 and controlling free agency. In Carthon’s stead, Titans Director of Football Operations Chad Brinker will run the team and the search, according to a statement from owner Amy Adams Strunk. In that statement, Strunk also announced that Brian Callahan will return as head coach.
Carthon joined the Titans in 2023 after stints with several different teams as Director of Player Personnel. After the 2023 season, Carthon earned the title of executive vice president, giving him oversight of all football operations.
Given how the last two seasons have gone, winning just nine games in total with zero improvement from one season to the next, it’s not a huge surprise that the Titans are moving on from Carthon.
In Carthon’s defense, he worked with two very different head coaches who each had their own scheme and ideas of how things should run.
Mike Vrabel was already in Tennessee when Carthon arrived, but Callahan was interviewed by Carthon, and they should have seen improvement this year. It’s not just about wins and losses, but we need to see overall team improvement and we simply didn’t see that in 2024.
The Titans will move forward in their search for a new general manager, beginning the search today.
Brian Callahan’s future with the Titans remains in question at this time.
We examine why the Tennessee Titans should move on from head coach Brian Callahan after just one season.
Brian Callahan took over as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans just over 9 months ago. At the time of his hiring, it was easy to buy into the hype and get excited about an offensive-minded, young head coach.
With that being said, Callahan’s first nine months have gone as bad as humanly possible. Callahan’s tenure has begun so horribly that it’s already time to consider whether the team should cut bait after this season.
Callahan’s Titans are 1-6 heading into Week 9, and it’s hard to identify any positives. First-year HCs often struggle, but they typically show signs of improvement and growth as the year goes on.
In Callahan’s case, however, the team looks worse and worse with every passing week. The Titans are not just rebuilding; they are losing in embarrassing and ugly fashion each week. Every game this team plays looks like it’s the first time they’ve met each other.
Brian Callahan’s offense is worse than his predecessors
Before this season, Callahan was billed as an offensive guru. The coach was credited with helping the development of Joe Burrow and helping design a high-powered Bengals offense.
How has that translated to Tennessee? Well, the Titans are currently 28th in points per game, 31st in passing yards per game, and 30th in yards per game. Offensive guru? The “exotic smashmouth” offenses of Mike Mularkey were much more impressive than those of this unit, as were Mike Vrabel’s units.
Callahan also brought in his father, legendary offensive line coach Bill Callahan. The elder Callahan is billed as one of the greatest OL coaches in the NFL. Surely, Bill has at least had success, right?
Nope. The Titans still have a revolving door at right tackle, and the team is 25th in the number of sacks allowed per game. Nicholas Petit-Frere and Jaelyn Duncan have been atrocious when asked to play, somehow even worse than last year. Leroy Watson IV was brought to Tennessee from Cleveland with the elder Callahan, and he’s also been horrendous.
Not one thing the Callahan regime has tried to do thus far has worked. And no, this can’t be blamed on a bad roster.
This is not JUST a roster problem
The Titans spent more money than any other team in free agency this offseason, so the “bad roster” excuse doesn’t fly either. Is this roster perfect? Absolutely not. However, it’s not bad enough to get blown out by 40 points. Callahan has shown an inability to manage games, hold players and coaches accountable, or prepare his team.
The Titans weren’t going to be a Super Bowl contender, no matter who the coach was in 2024. That doesn’t mean they had to be a cellar-dweller, though, but that’s where we are.
Continuity is meaningless if the wrong people are in place
Barring a miracle turnaround, the Titans need to cut bait. This front office already showed they don’t buy into the sunk-cost fallacy as they traded Hopkins away mere months after investing a boatload of money into this team.
That same mindset needs to be in place with Callahan. Continuity is no good if you have the wrong people in place. If Amy Adams Strunk wants Titans fans in seats when the new stadium opens, changes need to be made — and made fast.
The Tennessee Titans head to Michigan to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday and here are three causes for concern heading into Week 8.
This Sunday, the Tennessee Titans head to Michigan to face the Detroit Lions. The Titans are 1-5 after six games, while the Lions are 5-1 and lead the NFC North division.
As much as the Buffalo Bills and Titans were polar opposites in Week 7, the Lions and Titans are equally as opposite. Jared Goff has exploded onto the scene as a reliable and consistent leader on the field. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are sharing time and making the most of it. Even with the loss of Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions’ defense still presents a problem for the Titans.
The Titans have their work cut out for them on the road and there are three major causes for concern in Week 8.
Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images
Offensive woes are a persistent problem
Titans head coach Brian Callahan admits there’s a problem at right tackle. Leroy Watson played well against Indianapolis and didn’t allow a single sack but was penalized twice which resulted in Nicholas Petit-Frere getting back on the field against Buffalo. And we all know how that went.
On top of the offensive line issues, the Titans just traded away their top receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs. This still leaves them with Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd. And with Treylon Burks on injured reserve (IR), rookie Jha’Quan Jackson will likely see some playing time.
The thing is, if the quarterback, which looks to be Mason Rudolph as of right now, can’t get the ball to the receivers, then it doesn’t matter which receivers are on the field. Rudolph struggled against Buffalo in Week 7, and Week 8 against the Lions isn’t going to be any different.
Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images
Defensive changes will impact on-field play
The Titans traded away Ernest Jones IV on Wednesday. It was the second trade of the day, and this one had a bigger impact than the Hopkins trade. Jones was a leader among the defense, he is second in tackles behind Kenneth Murray Jr., and while he hasn’t recorded any sacks this season, his presence on the field will be missed.
On top of that trade, the Titans made it known that Harold Landry III is on the trading block and the team is open to offers. Landry will still go out there and play and he will do his job to the best of his ability, but that has to be in the back of his head and could affect how well he plays on Sunday.
The Titans’ defense is riddled with injuries, and with how this season started, it’s clear that Ran Carthon is looking forward and brushing this season off as a loss. Whether that’s his intention or not, that’s the perception, and you better believe it impacts how every player on the team performs.
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
The locker room is frustrated, morale is down
Losing games. Trading key players. The same problems happening week after week. The Titans’ locker room is frustrated, and it’s not just the receivers. No one likes losing, and the people who are most impacted by the losses are the players trying their hardest on the field. There is nothing more frustrating as an athlete than doing your own part and doing everything in your power to win a game, only to lose it because of coaching or front office issues.
That’s where the Titans are this week. Brian Callahan’s inability to make in-game adjustments has cost them at least three of their six games. Ran Carthon’s decision to trade both Hopkins and Jones feels like a gut punch,and is a clear indication that the Titans are going to rebuild, and they’re starting now.
When players are frustrated, they don’t play well. When they don’t play well, their mood comes down and turns to anger. Continuing to lose amplifies those feelings. Carthon just dropped a match on a tinder box filled to the brim, and it’s going to explode. Probably on Sunday if (when) they lose.
During his press availability, Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan stressed patience in evaluating QB Will Levis.
The Tennessee Titans are off to a 1-5 start after falling to the Buffalo Bills, 34-10, on Sunday at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, and things will not get any easier moving forward.
It’s not the start that fans or the team hoped for after an active offseason in free agency and a young roster that was fortified with veterans. Quarterback Will Levis has been disappointing and the offense has been a bust. The defense has played well, but the lack of support from the offense and special teams has been an issue.
Amy Adams Strunk trusts Ran Carthon & Brian Callahan in regards to being patient with Will Levis.
The understanding that the #Titans would be patient for the sake of fully evaluating their young QB has not changed. pic.twitter.com/IghKsfuk19
Unfortunately, things don’t seem to be changing anytime soon, but head coach Brian Callahan is determined to find out what they have in Levis and owner Amy Adams Strunk appears behind the plan.
In his press availability, Callahan reinforced his commitment to Levis, stating he will return as the starter when healthy and that they will have patience with the evaluation of his development moving forward in 2024.
This may not be what fans want to hear as the team moves forward, but that is the reality of the moment. For better or worse, Levis will be the quarterback for the rest of 2024 and Callahan has the support of general manager Ran Carthon and Strunk behind him.
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