Eddie George blasts Titans' lack of culture after Brian Callahan firing

Before the Tennessee Titans earned a reputation as one of the NFL's most dysfunctional organizations, Bowling Green head coach and former running back Eddie George played for the club from 1996 to 2003. 

During a recent chat with Mike Organ of the Nashville Tennessean, George discussed the state of the Titans after the team fired head coach Brian Callahan, who had led the team to a 1-5 start. 

Eddie George fears Titans have no "identity"

"What is the culture in the building? I can speak to that because I know what it was like when I was there," George said about the Titans. "We had a blueprint. We had an identity. What do you want to be that's sustainable? I think that's a question for [Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, general manager Mike Borgonzi and president of football operations Chad Brinker], and then they have to find a coach they can be on the same page with. How are you going to build this out? How much time are you going to give this person? It's not going to happen overnight."

The Titans participated in the 2020 AFC Championship Game when Mike Vrabel, who went 54-45 across his six regular seasons with the organization, was the head coach. However, he allegedly upset Titans personnel when he spoke highly of the New England Patriots during his induction into their Hall of Fame in 2023. Tennessee ultimately fired Vrabel in January 2024 after he experienced a second consecutive losing season.

Regarding Callahan, he finished with a 4-19 record as Tennessee's head coach before being dismissed earlier this month. Reports later indicated that the Titans' leadership no longer wanted Callahan working with rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. 

George believes the Titans' turnover has set the club back "at least a decade and maybe more." 

Eddie George addresses firing of Brian Callahan

"I'm sad to see Brian get fired," George said. "Being in this profession, I know how hard it is to win and try to build something. I don't know if he was given the proper time to do that. It's a results business, and they didn't think it was the right fit."

The Titans eventually hope to find the right head coach who can get the most out of Ward. For now, interim head coach Mike McCoy will focus on preventing 1-6 Tennessee from being embarrassed in this Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts (6-1).

As of Friday afternoon, ESPN BET had the Titans as 14.5-point underdogs for that contest.