Sources: Titans near deal with Callahan as coach

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans are working to finalize a deal with Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their next head coach, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday night.

Callahan, replacing Mike Vrabel, would become the sixth coach in Titans franchise history who was let go after the regular season ended.

In five seasons as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator, Callahan helped establish an offense that fueled Cincinnati to two AFC North division championships and a Super Bowl appearance in 2021. The Bengals’ offense was seventh in the NFL in points per game (26.1), eighth in total yards (360.5 per game) and fifth in passing yards (265.0). The Bengals also finished fourth in the NFL in offensive DVOA in 2022.

“He establishes the whole structure of the offense,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said of Callahan. “He has helped develop every position we have. He’s invaluable. There’s really not enough things I can say about him.”

Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk fired Vrabel after back-to-back losing seasons. Vrabel led Tennessee to four consecutive winning seasons after arriving in 2018. After starting 7-3 two seasons ago, the Titans lost 13 of their next 18 — including a seven-game losing streak to end the 2022 season.

Adams Strunk designated general manager Ran Carthon to lead the committee that ultimately decided to hire Callahan.

Callahan broke into the NFL as an offensive assistant for the Denver Broncos in 2010. He served in various roles including coaching assistant, offensive quality control coach and offensive assistant through 2015, when Peyton Manning quarterbacked the Broncos to a Super Bowl-winning season.

Callahan’s extensive experience working with top quarterbacks includes serving as the Lions’ quarterbacks coach during the 2016 and 2017 seasons when he worked alongside then-Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford, who posted 4,000-plus passing yards each year.

The following season saw Callahan in the same role with the Oakland Raiders in 2018, where he helped quarterback Derek Carr reach 4,000 passing yards for the first time in his career. Now he will work with second-year quarterback Will Levis.