Titans Make Major Change with Play Caller

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 12:28 PM ET

Just one day after openly considering the possibility that he may give up his play calling duties, Titans Head Coach Brian Callahan has transferred the responsibility to the team's quarterback coach, Bo Hardegree.

Callahan, who has assumed the role through 20 games at the franchise's helm, has only managed three wins in his relatively infantile tenure. This season specifically, with an offense that was seemingly overhauled and set to make an impact, Tennessee has yet to score more than 20 points in a contest, coming in under that number in two of their three games so far.

The talent being present — given rookie quarterback Cam Ward and his arsenal of recently acquired weapons behind the line — makes the Titans' struggles all the more frustrating. In all fairness to Callahan, making such a change is a difficult call, and his doing so this early in the new season is about as good a sign as disgruntled fans of the team could ask for at this point.

The change has been officially posted on social media following an announcement from Callahan himself.

Titans HC Brian Callahan is relinquishing his gameday play-calling job to QB coach Bo Hardegree.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 23, 2025

Hardegree, similarly to Callahan and the majority of the Titans staff, is in his second year with the team. He's spent a total of 12 years coaching in the NFL, with his most recent tenure coming in the form of a two-season pitstop with the Las Vegas Raiders, from 2022-23.

While he served the same position, QBs coach, in Las Vegas, Hardegree spent his final nine games with the Raiders in an interim offensive coordinator role before packing his bags and moving to Nashville to help usher in Callahan's new coaching regime.

Since then, the now-play caller has worked to develop the well-known carousel of signal callers that have spun their way through Nissan Stadium. From Will Levis to Mason Rudolph, Hardegree has dealt with a variety of time and expertise regarding the quality of quarterback that the Titans are putting under center.

Undoubtedly, the hope is that this experience will qualify him to step into a commanding role that revolves around the Titans' expected franchise savior in Cam Ward. Despite the team's offensive struggles, Ward has looked promising for the Titans through three games; if he and Hardegree can continue to develop and cooperate on a more widespread level, perhaps the change will be a positive one for a Tennessee team that has to find ways to consistently score.

Hardegree's first game as the play caller will be on the road against the Houston Texans next weekend as the Titans, in grueling fashion, still search for their first win of the season. There would be no better way for Hardegree to begin his new role, nor to earn the faith of the fans, than to orchestrate the Titans out of winless territory.

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

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