Titans Head Coach Brian Callahan Given Puzzling Ranking

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Mike Patton | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 8:56 PM ET

The Tennessee Titans are entering the 2025 NFL season with low expectations. After a 3-14 campaign last year that sealed the number one pick in the draft for them, there is little reason to expect a major turnaround.

With low expectations typically comes less critical acclaim in NFL circles, as well as from those who watch and analyze the game and its participants. An example of this lack of critical acclaim is the 2025 NFL head coaching rankings that CBS Sports recently released.

Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs and Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams head the list, ranking first and second. However, Cody Benjamin ranked the Titans' Brian Callahan No. 32, which is dead last among his peers.

“We shouldn’t fault Callahan too much for inheriting an overhauled roster, but after he was unable to corral quarterback Will Levis’ riskiest tendencies, there’s a lot riding on Cam Ward essentially controlling himself as Tennessee’s new face of the franchise," Benjamin wrote.

There is undoubtedly some pressure on Callahan as he enters Year 2 as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. The general manager who hired him, Ran Carthon, was fired this offseason and replaced by former Chiefs front office member Mike Borgonzi.

But ranking him dead-last based on the play of one player is unfair, especially because several coaches who have never been a head coach before were ranked ahead of Callahan.

While new leaders like Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets and Kellen Moore of the New Orleans Saints are coming from winning franchises, there is nothing that indicates their skills as coordinators will translate to being a head coach. Because of this fact alone, they should be ranked behind Callahan.

Also, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll had the same record as Callahan last season. He has progressively gotten worse in terms of his record each season, as he seemingly had all the answers in 2022, but now has none.

Given his progressive decline, he should be ranked lower than No. 30. This ranking appears to be based on his past success more than what he did in the 2024 season.

This is not to say that Callahan was the best in the league last season, but as a rookie head coach, he learned and grew, just like rookie players do. But to have him listed dead last based on one player and a roster that was not quite ready to win is strange and puzzling to see.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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