The Tennessee Titans have fired Head Coach Brian Callahan after a 1-5 start to the season. The Titans lost to the Las Vegas Raiders, one of the worst teams in the league, by 10 on Sunday, and the front office wasted no time sacking their coach.

Callahan has been on the hot seat for a while. He was almost fired at the end of last season after going 3-14 and landing the first overall pick in the draft. Ownership decided to give him one more year with the quarterback of his choosing, and so far, things have not improved. They’ve regressed, if anything.

Here’s what the firing means for the Titans, Cam Ward, and some early candidates to land the Titans’ head coaching job.

What it means for the Titans

The firing of Callahan means yet another year of instability in Tennessee. Since 2022, they’ve fired one of, if not both, their head coach and general manager. I understand the team has been struggling immensely since they lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs in 2021, but stability is a key part of building a franchise.

Here’s a list of their recent head coaching and general manager changes:

The Titans are soon to have had three general managers and three head coaches since 2022. That is just a recipe for disaster. Stability in the front office and coaching staff is key to rebuilding a franchise, and the Titans are hardly giving their guys a chance to succeed before dumping them.

However, this move also means a new era in Tennessee, which always brings hope with it. The fans were fed up in Nashville and were ready for a change, whether it was for the best or not. Not only will this reignite the fan base, but it opens the door for a potential quick turnaround.

The fact of the matter is, the Titans have a solid, young core that would be very attractive to head coaching candidates. Obviously, Cam Ward is the big one, but guys like Jeffery Simmons, Peter Skoronski, Elic Ayomanor, Gunnar Helm, Olu Oladejo, and Kevin Winston Jr. are exciting young players as well who make the Titans an attractive option.

What does this mean for Cam Ward?

Ward now becomes the third straight No. 1 overall pick to have his head coach fired during his rookie season. It’s a concerning trend, but we’ve also seen Bryce Young and Caleb Williams take big steps in year two with a new head coach, so there is a silver lining.

Still, instability is the last thing you want for your young quarterback trying to figure things out in the NFL. Brian Callahan was the man who drafted Cam Ward (though most other coaches would’ve done the same thing), and he worked intricately with the rookie. Now, he’s going to have to get used to another head coach for the rest of the year before learning a new system in 2026 when they find their next head coach. That’s my biggest concern for Ward.

He just spent the whole offseason grinding away at the playbook Callahan installed. Now, he’s going to have to dedicate loads of time to studying a new playbook this offseason instead of using some of that time to train and build a connection with his receivers, running backs, and offensive line.

Overall, I do think this will end up being a good thing for Ward. It might hurt him a bit in the short term, but if the Titans replace Callahan with the right guy, it could prove to be essential for Ward’s development.

Potential candidates

The Titans could go two routes. They could hire an experienced head coach who has proven he can win in the NFL, or they can take a risk and hire an exciting coordinator from one of the top teams. They went with the latter last time, and it obviously didn’t pay off, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try it again.

If they want to go with a young coordinator, one of the top candidates should and will be Joe Brady. The Buffalo Bills‘ offensive coordinator has gone through the interviewing process a couple of times now, but he’s made it clear in the past that he’s perfectly happy in Buffalo and would only leave for the right opportunity. Well, none of the teams he’s interviewed with had Cam Ward at quarterback, so the Titans could be an attractive option for him.

If they wanted to go with a defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter, the Los Angeles Chargers’ DC, could be another name. He’s an exciting, young talent, and it’s only a matter of time before he lands a head coaching job. The only thing is, he would need to bring a strong offensive coordinator with him, and those can be hard to find.

If the Titans want to go with some experience, Mike McCarthy and Jon Gruden would be two very popular options. Both have expressed interest in coaching again, and they’ve both won a Super Bowl. Do they have as high a ceiling as Brady or Minter? Probably not, but they can very quickly stabilize a struggling franchise. The final name I’ll throw out there is Kevin Stefanski.

The Cleveland Browns head coach could be on the chopping block this season. He’s a very good head coach, despite what the Browns’ record says, and if he’s let go, he won’t be a free agent for long.

The Titans will have options. They just have to make sure they make the right choice.