In looking back at his tenure with the Titans, former Tennessee General Manager Jon Robinson said Wednesday he wished he had the opportunity to do a few things differently.
Jon Robinson
Tennessee Titans
Speaking on the 102.5-FM “Chase & Big Joe Show,” Robinson likened some moments of his seven-year stretch with the Titans to a golf game, saying he probably should have purchased a few mulligans — golf slang for do-overs — prior to beginning his job in 2016.
“I probably would have bought a handful of those,” joked Robinson, who hadn’t previously made extensive public comments about his Titans career.
“But at the end of the day, I was charged with managing decisions as it related to on-the-field stuff, and I didn’t do my job well enough at times. That’s what happens. Again, [there are] certainly some things I would love to have back.”
His decision to trade wide receiver A.J. Brown to Philadelphia during the 2022 NFL Draft likely stands atop that list.
With Brown seeking a pricey new contract after piling up 2,995 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in his first three seasons, Robinson chose to ship him to the Eagles in exchange for the 18th and 101st overall picks in the draft that year.
Brown has since gone on to become one of the NFL’s best receivers, earning Pro Bowl honors twice with the Eagles while helping Philadelphia win the Super Bowl last season.
The Titans tried replacing Brown by picking Treylon Burks at No. 18, but the oft-injured and unproductive Burks was just waived/injured by the team earlier this week.
“There was just a lot of discussion that went into that decision,” Robinson said on 102.5-FM. “Ultimately, it was my responsibility to make the decision.
“Again, if I had one of those mulligans, I would probably do that one … In hindsight, if you had a do-over, I’d be an idiot to sit here and say, `No, I’d do it again.’ No, you’d do it different. But we made the decision that we made, and then the rest is what it is.”
Burks was the last of three straight failed first-round draft picks by the Titans, as Robinson had selected Georgia tackle Isaiah Wilson in 2020 and cornerback Caleb Farley in 2021.
Wilson was one of the more spectacular flame-outs in first-round history, as the 6-6, 350-pound lineman — beset by off-field issues — played a total of just three offensive snaps during his brief career.
Robinson noted that the Titans — as well as all teams — weren’t able to do thorough, in-person scouting during 2020 because of COVID restrictions.
But he took full responsibility for making a terrible selection.
“I liken [selecting Wilson] to a tee-ball game, and I don’t know if I even hit the tee [with that pick],” Robinson said on 102.5-FM. “Sometimes when you’re at a tee-ball game, and the kids will swing and they’ll hit the tee, and the ball just falls down. I don’t think I even hit the tee on that one.”
Still, the good far outweighed the bad under Robinson, a Union City native, who stepped into his role after the Titans went 3-13 in 2015. He helped guide the Titans to a 66-43 record, and the team went to the playoffs four times in his six full seasons, once reaching the AFC Championship.
Robinson said his favorite memory was likely when the Titans beat New England in the playoffs in 2019, as he had spent 11 years in the Patriots organization earlier in his career.
Robinson expressed gratitude several times to Titans owner Amy Adams for the opportunity she gave him in Tennessee.
It was Adams who also fired Robinson in December of 2022, two days after Brown had posted eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns in Philadelphia’s 35-10 win over Tennessee.
“I don’t really remember what I did [after getting fired],” Robinson said. “I think you’re still in a fog … Then it’s like, `Alright, what’s next? What do you do next?’ That’s kind of where my head was at, was like, ‘What’s going to be next?’ The first thing I wanted to do was kind of re-center myself with my family.”
Robinson interviewed unsuccessfully for general manager jobs with the New York Jets and Jacksonville within the past year.
He’s currently working as a consultant for a sports agency group.
But he remains open to the prospect of taking another GM job if the opportunity presents itself, while listing other options as well.
“If the right situation came along and that’s what the Lord leads me to do, I would [return to a general manager role],” Robinson said. “If it’s a media thing … Everyone has a podcast. I may try to dabble in that.
“I’m appreciative I’m still around the game. The game’s been a part of my life for a long time, and to still be around that in somewhat of an evaluation piece, with the agency group … and [maybe do] some storytelling stuff on podcasts, that would be pretty cool.”