Dec 29, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan reacts to a call against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Titans HC Among Top Hot Seat Candidates

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Jared Koch | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Tennessee Titans entered the 2025 offseason with some interesting decisions to be made at head coach following the first year under Brian Callahan.

Following a brutal 3-14 regular season from the Titans led by Callahan, followed by an offseason kicked off by replacing general manager Ran Carthon after two seasons, Tennessee was met with a crossroads: do they fire Callahan after a rough year and kick re-start completely with a new GM, coach, and quarterback, or give their new hire more than one season to prove himself as the offensive guru he was advertised to be?

In due time, it remained clear: the Titans were confident in their head coach and opted to stick with Callahan as their guy for one more season, but this time in a much better situation than 2024, headlined by their biggest improvement of acquiring their aspired franchise quarterback in first-overall selection Cam Ward.

However, even with another year at the helm with Tennessee, it doesn't stop Callahan from being on one of the biggest hot seats in the NFL for the season ahead.

Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker recently stacked up 10 NFL coaches on the biggest hot seat for the season ahead, where Callahan was squarely in the mix.

"Although first-year head coaches Jerod Mayo and Antonio Pierce were let go after their first full seasons, Callahan survived the cut. But more is necessary to avoid a similar fate to his counterparts," Locker wrote. "Callahan now has his hand-picked quarterback of the future in No. 1 overall draft selection Cam Ward (91.7 PFF passing grade), in addition to an upgraded roster featuring Kevin Zeitler (86.5 PFF overall grade) and Dan Moore Jr. (66.9 PFF pass-blocking grade). Although this team is still among the league’s worst in terms of talent — and years away from contending — Callahan will need to get the wheels moving in the right direction, particularly on offense, or he risks being fired after his second campaign."

It's nothing short of a prove-it year for Callahan and the Titans, but this time around, he has a much better outlook of talent in the building, especially on the offensive side of the ball, to make a major improvement from what the team faced across last season.

Tweaks at quarterback, on the offensive line, at receiver, and even as far down as their new hire of special teams coordinator John Fassel, it could be a major turnaround season for Callahan and this group, especially in a bit more of a wide-open division like the AFC South projects to be.

But if the wheels come off for Callahan and the Titans early on in their 2025 season and can't recover, it could be what sinks the ship for his tenure as their head coach.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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