Titans Want to Talk About NFL's Best Offense

An ESPN report on Sunday said that Mike Vrabel has requested permission to interview the last two Kansas City Chiefs play-callers.

Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today Sports

If the Tennessee Titans decide to do something different with their offense, one possibility is now clear.

They might try to do what the Kansas City Chiefs do.

The Titans have requested permission to interview Kansas City’s offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, and senior assistant/quarterbacks coach Matt Nagy, according to a report by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Sunday morning.

Tennessee is in search of an offensive coordinator to replace Todd Downing, who was fired two days after the end of the regular season.

This is the third time in five years head coach Mike Vrabel has needed to fill that position. In 2019, he promoted tight ends coach Arthur Smith when Matt LaFleur left to become head coach at Green Bay. In 2021, he promoted Downing from tight ends coach when Smith left to become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

The Chiefs were the NFL’s highest scoring team this season and have finished among the top six in points each of the last six seasons. Likewise, they led the league in total yards in 2022 and have finished among the top six in that category each of the last six years.

Tennessee finished 28th in scoring and 30th in yards in 2022 as Downing dealt with injuries to the offensive line, used three different starting quarterbacks and employed one of the league’s least productive wide receiver groups.

Nagy was Kansas City’s offensive coordinator in 2017 after four seasons as quarterbacks coach. He was named head coach of the Chicago Bears in 2018 and held that position for four years. He returned to the Chiefs this season after he was fired following his first losing season with the Bears (6-11 in 2021).

Bieniemy was promoted from running backs coach in 2018 when Nagy left and has been the offensive coordinator since. Almost every year since he has been considered a head coach candidate, and last week he interviewed with the Indianapolis Colts in that team’s search to replace Frank Reich.