Chiefs assistant GM set to take over Titans front office

The Titans moved quickly after narrowing their list of general manager candidates to a group of finalists. With second interviews complete, a decision appears to have been made.

Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi is set to take over the Titans’ front office, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported. While ESPN’s Adam Schefter cautions a deal is not yet done, this news points toward Tennessee’s GM vacancy being filled with plenty of time left in the offseason.

Six candidates took part in second interviews over the past few days. Borgonzi was among them, which came as little surprise given his experience and how close he came to landing a GM gig last year with the Commanders. After 16 seasons in Kansas City — including the past four as assistant general manager — Borgonzi will depart the two-time defending champions to oversee the Titans’ rebuild.

Tennessee moved on from Jon Robinson late in the 2022 campaign, ending his seven-year run span at the franchise's helm. Ran Carthon was brought in as his replacement, and the decision by owner Amy Adams Strunk to dismiss head coach Mike Vrabel after the 2023 season seemed to set Carthon up for a long runway in his position. The Titans bottomed out this year, though, and while Brian Callahan was retained after one year as head coach, Carthon was let go.

Borgonzi was one of the top candidates in this year’s GM hiring cycle, also interviewing for the Jets’ position. New York’s search continues, but one name has now been removed from the list of remaining options. Without a head coaching hire to make (which is still the case for both the Jets and Raiders), the Titans can move forward with a new power structure once the Borgonzi hire becomes official.

Kansas City and Tennessee have been connected on the trade front recently. Recent examples include the swaps that saw cornerback L’Jarius Sneed head to Tennessee in the offseason and that sent wideout DeAndre Hopkins to Kansas City ahead of this year's deadline. Borgonzi will aim to make immediate progress concerning roster-building in his first GM opportunity, including the No. 1 pick in April’s draft.

Chad Brinker joined the Titans’ staff along with Carthon and was promoted to president of football operations last year. He ran Tennessee’s GM search, and his connections to Borgonzi made this development one to watch. Given the team’s announcement (during the statement confirming Carthon’s firing) that Brinker would “break ties” regarding key decisions, it will be interesting to see how much authority Borgonzi wields, especially in the early portion of his tenure.

For now, though, attention will turn to building out the rest of the front office staff. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes that the scouting department could soon see additions, with former Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler being an option. In any case, the Titans have found the executive tasked with finding a franchise quarterback and returning the team to postseason contention.

Here is the final breakdown of how Tennessee’s search broke down:

• Matt Berry, senior director of player personnel (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/11
• Mike Borgonzi, assistant general manager (Chiefs): Hired
• Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Conducted second interview 1/15
• Thomas Dimitroff, former general manager (Falcons): Interviewed 1/10
• Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Conducted second interview 1/14
• Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): Conducted second interview 1/14
• Catherine Hickman, assistant general manager (Browns): Interviewed 1/11
• Reggie McKenzie, senior personnel executive (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/10
• John Spytek, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Conducted second interview 1/16
• Jon-Eric Sullivan, director of player personnel (Packers): Conducted second interview 1/16