New Titans head coach Brian Callahan ‘can’t wait to work with’ quarterback Will Levis.
The Titans have chosen a replacement for Mike Vrabel, who was fired unexpectedly in January.
Tennessee’s goal is to find a coach who can help quarterback Will Levis succeed. Brian Callahan enters as the man who has proven himself capable of doing just that.
“I really enjoyed getting to know him and I can’t wait to get to work with him,” Callahan said of Levis during the coach’s introductory news conference Thursday. “He’s got a lot of really special, physical talents that I’m excited to see what we can make better. Everything about him so far has been fantastic and I’m excited to get further down into it.”
Callahan’s success with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati helped him secure the position. Callahan was the offensive coordinator under Zac Taylor for the last five years. He guided Burrow through the first four years of his career, which earned him AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year in Cincinnati’s AFC title-winning 2021 season and NFL MVP votes in 2022.
Taylor calls the plays in Cincinnati, but Callahan helped build and administer the Bengals’ scheme. Now, the Titans are hoping he can recreate his success with Levis and an offense in need of help. Fittingly, Callahan announced Thursday that he will call offensive plays in 2024, taking a hands-on approach in his first head coaching position.
“Not a big one at all,” Callahan replied when asked if the shift from offensive coordinator in Cincinnati to head coach in Tennessee would be significant. “The way we worked in Cincinnati was quite collaborative. I’ve worked with Zac for five years, with him as the primary playcaller and me as the offensive coordinator. “I’m very pleased with the process.”
After going 6-11 in 2023, Tennessee decided it was time for a fresh start, intentionally departing from a defensive-minded coach (Vrabel) in favor of one with an offensive background. The hope is such a shift can improve Tennessee’s lackluster offense, which finished 18th in total yards per game and 17th in points per game.
If the Titans want to build around Levis, now is the time to connect him with a coach who can help him grow. While there is no assurance Levis will become a franchise quarterback, he has shown enough potential to improve Tennessee’s prognosis for 2024 compared to relying on Ryan Tannehill alone.
Still, this turnaround will involve more than just the coach and quarterback. Tennessee signed DeAndre Hopkins in 2023 to improve with the passing game. Despite breaking 1,000 receiving yards in 17 games, it became clear that he couldn’t fix everything on his own.
He’ll be on the Titans’ roster through 2024, but they need additional help. Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon will be responsible for improving this roster sufficiently to meet the coach’s philosophy and get him off to a good start.
“I think the first thing we want to do is put the players we have in a good position,” Callahan said of enhancing the roster. “Let them be able to find their positions, establish what those roles are for them, and place them in matchups that we believe are advantageous. That is a wide and comprehensive offensive philosophy, but it serves as a starting point.
“We want to be great detailed in the passing game. Route definition, route spacing and complete balls at a high percentage. That’s always going to be the goal. The run game, we still want to be physical – don’t get that part twisted. That’s part of the Titans’ identity for a long time and will continue to be. We’ll be a physical football team and we’ll be able to run the ball the way we need to win football games. That’s probably the best way without going too far in the weeds.”
Establishing a muscular running game may be more challenging without Derrick Henry, who left Tennessee at the end of 2023 and is unlikely to return in 2024. Replacing him is just one of many tasks that Carthon and Callahan will need to do by 2024.
The good news is that Callahan will have less pressure to perform during his debut season. People recognize that this reconstruction will not happen fast, but if Levis can take another stride or two forward under Callahan, they will be in a much better position.
