More information about Titans' dysfunction revealed after Brian Callahan firing

Even before the Tennessee Titans officially fired former head coach Brian Callahan this past Monday, NFL insiders such as Michael Silver of The Athletic commonly referred to the franchise as dysfunctional. 

There's more information regarding such takes. 

Titans owner may have made big Brian Callahan move before firing

Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com has revealed that Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk "was likely the impetus behind stripping the play-calling duties away from" Callahan after Tennessee suffered a 41-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts that dropped the Titans to 0-3 on the season. 

"It is believed from many within the staff that the decision to remove the play calls from Callahan came from above president of football operations Chad Brinker and general manager Mike Borgonzi, but was passed on to them to relay to Callahan about the decision," McCormick continued. 

McCormick added that "Strunk’s fingerprints were also all over the way Callahan was fired on Monday, as in a conference call with Brinker and Borgonzi, she apparently indicated her desire to move on from Callahan to them and dispatched them to break the news to the coach that he was being fired six weeks into the season."

Back in August, a report revealed that Strunk considered "completely cleaning house and sending Callahan on his way along with" former general manager Ran Carthon, who was dismissed in January of this year. Callahan then fell to 4-19 during his tenure, and his only win of the ongoing campaign involved the Arizona Cardinals essentially gifting Tennessee a victory on Oct. 5.

ESPN stats show that the Titans enter Week 7 ranked 31st in the NFL with an average of 13.8 points scored per game. Meanwhile, Tennessee rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward is ranked last in the league among qualified passers with a 24.9 adjusted QBR on the season. 

Will candidates pass on interviewing with Titans?

Both ESPN's Peter Schrager and Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio have suggested that potential head-coaching candidates may think twice about accepting a job with an organization that has "a history of curious decisions," such as when the Titans fired Mike Vrabel in January 2024. Vrabel now serves as head coach of the 4-2 New England Patriots, who will play the 1-5 Titans this coming Sunday. 

"The best coaches would be wise to wait for the right jobs to come open — and to be pragmatic about the risks associated with a team that has a well-greased revolving door," Florio added. 

If nothing else, McCormick's update will only add to the perception that the Titans are currently infected with the type of dysfunction that could make it difficult for any coach to succeed.