The Tennessee Titans have been rumored to be eyeing former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy as their replacement for the fired Brian Callahan, but it’s reportedly not guaranteed they’ll pursue him.
Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated reported that McCarthy “is viewed by some as an early front-runner for the Titans’ vacancy given his experience at the quarterback position and the Titans needing to maximize 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward. Though there are some conflicting opinions emerging that Tennessee may value a younger voice in the building.”
During his tenure with the Cowboys, McCarthy helped develop quarterback Dak Prescott into one of the best signal-callers in the NFL. Before that, he enjoyed success with the Green Bay Packers and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, winning the 2010 Super Bowl title.
McCarthy could have a leg up on other coaching candidates for the vacancy in Tennessee, as he worked with Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker in Green Bay for nearly a decade.
Still, there are multiple coordinators who are expected to draw interest this offseason. Earlier this month, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula could be among the first-time head coaching candidates that the Titans pursue. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini also recently revealed a long list of coordinators who can be in the running for head coach openings:
At 2-11, the Titans are tied for the worst record in the NFL, so the person who takes the head coaching position will have a lot of work to do to rebuild the franchise. Perhaps it would be best for Tennessee to roll with an experienced leader like McCarthy, but the call of a fresh new hire could be hard to ignore.