Brian Callahan Can Deliver the Fresh Start the Tennessee Titans Were After

While it may have been something of a surprise when Mike Vrabel got the axe, the Tennessee Titans have certainly moved quickly in replacing him. On Monday night, news broke that the club had agreed to hire Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their next head coach. The deal is yet to be confirmed as of Tuesday morning, but multiple sources including Adam Schefter and the Associated Press have linked Callahan to the job.

Newsweek reached out to the Titans via email requesting comment on those reports.

With all of that being said, though, a head coaching appointment is the first step of the Tennessee rebuild. And with that largely taken care of, we can start to puzzle out what the rest of the offseason might hold.

Let's break things down.

Who Is Brian Callahan?

First things first, let's spend some time getting to know Callahan and his background.

As laid out by his Bengals biography, the coach is the son of former Raiders bench boss Bill Callahan and played his collegiate ball at UCLA. He started his coaching career with a high school team, then joined up with the Bruins as a graduate assistant before working in football operations and with the team's wide receivers.

Callahan then moved to the NFL, where he worked with the Denver Broncos in multiple offensive roles. He overlapped with Peyton Manning, starting a trend of working with successful quarterbacks. After leaving the AFC West, Callahan would land in Detroit as the quarterbacks coach and help guide Matthew Stafford to a big-time 2017 campaign. He then joined the Raiders, teaming up with Derek Carr for a then-career-best season.

In 2019, the former UCLA Bruin stepped up, moving to Cincinnati and becoming the Bengals offensive coordinator. Joe Burrow arrived a year later, and the club's success largely speaks for itself. When healthy, the quarterback is one of the league's top talents, and he's surrounded by a capable supporting cast.

And, during 2023, the club largely stayed afloat despite Jake Browning's presence under center. While it's tough to directly nail down who gets credit for that continuity, Callahan is at least partially responsible as the team's offensive coordinator.

So, what does that all mean? Well, it certainly seems like things will be changing in Tennessee.

Will Levis' Development Will Be Worth Watching

If we know one thing about Callahan, it's that he has a history of getting strong production out of quarterbacks. Will Levis could be the next in that line.

While the rookie didn't exactly set the world on fire in 2023—he threw for 1,808 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions in nine appearances—he'll now get the chance to work under an offensive coach with an eye toward those under center.

And to be clear, Levis isn't someone who just strolled in off the street. He was a second-round draft pick in 2023, and he earned some pre-draft praise from Peyton Manning.

Does that mean he's destined to become the AFC's next elite quarterback? Not necessarily, but Browning's success this season suggests that Callahan isn't just reliant on working with big names. Levis' development will certainly be something to watch.

Looking for Receivers Beyond DeAndre Hopkins

When you think of the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Burrow steals the spotlight. The quarterback, however, isn't working alone. With Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd on the roster, he has a wealth of receiving weapons.

The Titans, at least as of now, do not. DeAndre Hopkins led the team in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns (75, 1057 and seven), but there was a massive gap between him and the rest of the team. With an offensive head coach renowned for working with quarterbacks, you'd think that would have to change.

Tennessee is sitting at seventh in the draft order, which probably means Marvin Harrison Jr. is out of reach. Will they target someone like Malik Nabers, seeking to give Levis another weapon?

Alternatively, maybe Tee Higgins could be tempted to follow his old coach south in free agency.

Either way, how the Titans fill out the receiver room will be worth watching. The days of handing the ball off to Derrick Henry (as we'll discuss shortly) are probably a thing of the past.

Callahan's Presence Could Inform an O-Line Issue

To be clear, the Titans need to make an upgrade in the trenches. The club's offensive line was not good in 2023; while the numbers vary depending on where you look, they're dire across the board. Pro Football Focus, for example, ranked the unit as the worst in the league.

Things have to improve in that department, but Callahan is also familiar with dealing with a leaky offensive line. Burrow has absorbed plenty of pressure in Cincinnati, and the Bengals dealt with a patchwork unit there in the recent past.

So, how will that affect the plans moving forward? Will the coach have seen the problems caused by a weak front line first-hand and ensure they're fixed, especially with a young signal-caller under center? Or will he feel like his scheme can mitigate the pressure and allow the Titans to get away with comparatively minor improvements while using their resources elsewhere?

Only time will tell regarding the specific course of action, but something has to be done.

Ready for an Offensive Overhaul

When the 2023 regular season ended, Derrick Henry seemed like he had accepted that his time in Tennessee was done. And with Mike Vrabel, a man who he publicly supported, gone, that could be another reason for the big running back to leave town.

It goes without saying that the Titans won't refuse to run the ball; even Andy Reid, the high priest of passing offenses, calls for hand-offs. But that positional turnover, combined with Callahan's quarterback background, suggests a major change is on the cards.

And, if you're retooling an offense, he could be the right man for the job.

"He's a good, down to earth guy. Easy to talk to. Open minded. Grew up in a coaching household. Has worked with great QBs. Sees the game from their perspective," Joe Goodberry, who covers the Bengals consistently, explained on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "Has helped this offense transform multiple times and figure out their own weaknesses to become their strengths. They've scrapped their entire run games and rebuilt them on the fly. They've scraped half of their playbook when they under-center stuff wasn't working. They took much of the LSU offense for Burrow during the truncated offseason and got early results. They've morphed through each season to fit their roster and what defenses have done to take away their best plays. They've routinely showed the ability to be a completely different type of offense depending on the opponent. The players love him. He understands them and knows what to do to reset them and get everyone on board again. He's not the play caller, but everyone has a hand in what Taylor calls on Sunday. From game planning, building the offense, the playbook and the adjustments. He's the one leading that charge."

Again, we'll have to see how things actually shake out—Which running back takes over the top job? Which receivers arrive this offseason?—and how those personnel realities affect the on-field course of action. Leading a team through a change, however, shouldn't be outside of Callahan's capabilities.

When announcing Vrabel's firing, controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk noted that "[she] arrived at the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff."

Callahan will certainly provide that change. Now, we'll just have to wait and see how things work out.