Teams taking QB No. 1 overall should make coaching change as well

The Tennessee Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan on Monday, ending a brutal tenure that saw him win just four out of 22 games. It also comes just six weeks into a season where the Titans used the No. 1 overall pick on quarterback Cam Ward in the hopes that he could turn the franchise around. 

He still might. He certainly has the talent and the upside. 

But it should not be a surprise that things started poorly, or that an in-season coaching change was going to happen. 

Recent NFL history should have told them that, and it should be a warning to future teams taking a quarterback with the top pick.

Just bring in a new coach along with the new quarterback for a fresh start. Because it is going to happen anyway, and it might make things smoother for everybody. Including the young quarterback.

Coaching changes are common trend for No. 1 quarterbacks

Going back to the 2015 NFL Draft there have been nine quarterbacks taken with the No. 1 overall pick, including the Titans' selection of Ward this season.

In six of those instances, the team that took a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick ended up making a coaching change before the end of that quarterback's rookie season, while a seventh made a coaching change after the season.

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired Lovie Smith following Jameis Winston's rookie season in 2015.
• The Los Angeles Rams fired Jeff Fisher 13 games into Jared Goff's rookie season in 2016.
• The Cleveland Browns fired Hue Jackson eight games into Baker Mayfield's rookie season in 2018.
• The Jacksonville Jaguars fired Urban Meyer 13 games into Trevor Lawrence's rookie season in 2021.
• The Carolina Panthers fired Frank Reich 11 games into Bryce Young's rookie season in 2023.
• The Chicago Bears fired Matt Eberflus 12 games into Caleb Williams' rookie season in 2024.
• The Tennessee Titans fired Callahan just six games into Ward's rookie season in 2025.

The only No. 1 quarterbacks since 2015 that did not experience a coaching change during their rookie season were Kyler Murray with the Arizona Cardinals and Joe Burrow with the Cincinnati Bengals.

In Murray's instance, the Cardinals brought in a new coach (Kliff Kingsbury) along with their new quarterback, while Zac Taylor was in his second-year with the Bengals when they selected Burrow. 

This should not be a huge surprise. Any team picking No. 1 overall is almost certainly in a situation where their entire roster is bad and is full of holes. One player is not likely to change that, and more losing is probably going to be on the horizon. Especially as a rookie quarterback works through their growing pains. More losing usually equals a head-coaching change. 

Environment has huge impact upon developing QBs

But that is one of the things that can be especially damaging to a young quarterback. A lot of times the development of a quarterback comes down to the environment they are in. Do they have good offensive line protection, good skill players, a good system and a good coaching staff. 

Consistency also matters. Not having to learn new systems all the time matters. 

When you throw a rookie quarterback into the NFL and everything that comes with that, and then immediately change everything around them it only adds another hurdle into an already daunting path toward success. 

If teams know they are going to be making a coaching change eventually (and a lot of those teams above should have known that) it would make more sense to just make the preemptive change right when they pick their quarterback. Let quarterback grow with a new coach in a consistent system with a consistent voice guiding them. Do not throw more changes and challenges in their face. 

If you are in a position to pick a quarterback first overall it probably means your team is really bad and needs a lot. Just start making all of the changes at the same time. 

The head coach-quarterback relationship is the most important for every NFL team. Consistency should be the focus. Give them a chance to build that from the start.