First Five Items On New Titans Coach Brian Callahan's To-Do List
NASHVILLE — Brian Callahan is reportedly the new coach who will be responsible for rebuilding the Tennessee Titans.
Callahan comes to the Titans after five years running the Bengals offense, which features one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Joe Burrow. The Bengals went to the Super Bowl in 2021 and won the tough AFC North two times.
Callahan, 39, is an experienced coach who has worked extensively with A-list quarterbacks such as Burrow, Peyton Manning, Derek Carr, and Matthew Stafford. One of Callahan's most significant accomplishments was his work with Jake Browning, a 27-year-old backup with zero NFL experience who started the Bengals' final seven games after Burrow went out with injuries.
The Browning-led Bengals won four of those games, ranked fifth in the NFL in passing yards per game (265.0), eighth in total yards per game (360.5), and seventh in points per game (26.1).
Now Callahan takes over a team that went 6-11 last season and ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in most offensive and defensive categories. Here are some of the most pertinent questions facing the new coach.
What's the plan for Will Levis?
We'll learn a lot about Callahan's reputation as a quarterback guru as he takes charge of the continuing education of second-year quarterback Will Levis.
Levis showed promise in his nine starts in his rookie season. He has a strong arm and can extend plays with his legs. But it's important to note that four of his eight touchdowns were thrown in his debut against the Atlanta Falcons. Levis' completion rate of 58 percent needs improvement.
A team's fate in the NFL starts and ends with the quarterback and head coach. How Levis and Callahan work together will be pivotal in determining how quickly the Titans can start winning.
What's the plan for defense?
Callahan's stellar reputation as an offensive thinker and quarterback whisperer is earned and well-documented. We have heard little about Callahan's defensive ideology. It'll be interesting to see the direction he takes in hiring a defensive coordinator and building out the coaching staff.
How will he handle play-calling?
While Callahan didn't call the plays in Cincinnati, Bengals coach Zac Taylor gives his now-former offensive coordinator plenty of the credit.
"He coordinates everything to do with (the offense)," Taylor told ESPN. "He establishes the structure of our offense. On game day, he and I are in constant communication. That is calling plays. That is establishing an offense. He's helped develop every position that we have."
Don't be surprised if Callahan takes on play-calling duties no matter who he hires as his offensive coordinator.
Will he hire his father to coach the offensive line?
It's no secret that the Titans' offensive line struggled to create openings for running backs and protecting the quarterback. Too often, there wasn't enough time for Levis or Ryan Tannehill to throw. Titans quarterbacks were sacked 64 times in 2023.
Brian's father, Bill, is considered one of the best offensive line coaches in football and he currently works for the Cleveland Browns. Brian famously went out of his way to not get his first job from his father. Now that he's a head coach, will he hire his dad?
What to do with Derrick Henry?
Titans general manager Ran Carthon has emphasized that all player decisions will be a collaboration of coaching and player personnel staffs. Henry, one of the best players in Titan history, rushed for more than 1,000 yards and earned a Pro Bowl nod this season. He has turned 30 and becomes a free agent in March.
How Carthon and Callahan decide Henry's future and work together on player acquisition for a team with 24 free agents will be worth watching the next few months.
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- TITANS HIRING CALLAHAN: The Tennessee Titans are hiring Brian Callahan as their next head coach to replace Mike Vrabel, according to multiple reports. Job One in the rebuilding effort could be the continuing education of quarterback Will Levis. CLICK HERE
- WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT CALLAHAN: "Obviously, the work that he's done with Joe Burrow has certainly been noted. But it's not just that. The fact that he got Jake Browning this year to play as well as he did certainly played into it." CLICK HERE
- MEET THE NEW COACH: Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan is an NFL legacy, the son of a coach. But his career is one of his own making. CLICK HERE
