The Tennessee Titans didn’t wait around much to find their coach of the future after firing Mike Vrabel.
Tennessee became the first NFL franchise this offseason to hire a coach away from another organization, reportedly hiring Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as its next head coach.
The son of longtime NFL coach Bill Callahan, Brian Callahan is the latest offensive mind to benefit from coaching one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks in Joe Burrow.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted, Brian Callahan has worked with not only Burrow, but former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr. He’s also worked for head coaches like John Fox, Gary Kubiak and Jim Caldwell.
A list of some of the QBs that Brian Callahan has worked with:
🏈Broncos: Peyton Manning
🏈Lions: Matthew Stafford
🏈Raiders: Derek Carr
🏈Bengals: Joe Burrow https://t.co/V76UoC9oer— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 23, 2024
Some of the head coaches that Brian Callahan has worked under:
🏈John Fox
🏈Gary Kubiak
🏈Jim Caldwell
🏈Jon Gruden
🏈Zac Taylor https://t.co/geI76QYG6B— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 23, 2024
In Tennessee, Callahan will be tasked to return the Titans to their offensive excellence, perhaps one more focused on passing the ball with strong-armed quarterback Will Levis the favorite to start this fall and future Hall of Fame running back Derrick Henry possibly leaving in free agency this spring.
Developing Levis will be at the top of Callahan’s list of priorities as a coach, as the Titans invested in Levis as the possible future of the franchise with a second-round pick in 2023. If Levis isn’t the answer, then Callahan will eventually have to figure out who the next quarterback is for Tennessee.
The Titans used to be one of the league’s more entertaining offenses, but the departure of Arthur Smith, the baffling trade of elite wide receiver A.J. Brown, the regression of quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the gradual decline of the team’s offensive line turned them into one of the more stagnant units in the NFL.
By hiring someone as experienced as Brian Callahan, you can see where the focus will be for the Titans. It’ll be on the new coach to bring the offensive fireworks back to Music City, lest this offense keep hitting the wrong notes.