6 games. That’s all the cosmic clock allowed Brian Callahan to tick off in his 2nd season as HC of the Tennessee Titans. The 4-19 record over that brief span made the firing feel inevitable, like a long-deferred appointment with fate. They ended Callahan’s tenure after a brutal 20-10 loss to the Raiders, with Las Vegas having been nursing a 4-game losing streak of their own. However, the cruel twist arrived not with Brian’s exit but with his father’s.

Veteran offensive guru Bill Callahan, who only joined his son in Nashville for this project, is now expected to depart. NFL insider James Palmer hit the wire instantly, noting, “The Titans reportedly are now losing one of the best OL coaches in the game, as Bill Callahan is expected to depart following the firing of his son.”

The thing is, while Bill Callahan has a Hall of Fame résumé, he developed legends like Trent Williams and Alan Faneca; his stint with the Titans was arguably the root of his son’s struggles. Rookie QB Cam Ward’s struggles (4 INTs vs. 3 TDs) trace directly back to pressure. But guess what? Ward himself is one of the factors behind Callahan Jr.’s firing.

According to President Chad Brinker, via Cameron Wolfe on X, “change was needed from HC Brian Callahan because we weren’t seeing growth. We drafted Cam Ward 1st overall & we need to see him grow as a football player.” Now, after a 1-5 record, the front office has decided this for Ward and the team. As a result, Bill Callahan, who left the Browns in the 2024 offseason to join his son’s staff, is now expected to leave.

On the other hand, Scott Fuchs, who Bill selected to be his assistant OL coach, is expected to take over for the same role for the rest of the season. But let’s not forget that the entire team is equally responsible for the losses.

The line was porous, epitomized by J.C. Latham’s struggle against Maxx Crosby, where the former 1st-rounder gave up 2 sacks and multiple pressures. Dan Moore at LT? Average at best. Center Lloyd Cushenberry hasn’t touched his Denver form since tearing his Achilles tendon last year. The unit’s failure, save for Peter Skoronski’s slight development, feels like dread. 

Who will be the next HC and OC after Brian Callahan and his father’s exit?

Joe Brady, the Bills’ OC, instantly jumped to the top of the “who’s next” shortlists. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky wasted zero time, posting a message on X that put Brady’s name right at the top. 

Since Brady took over the Bills’ play-calling duties in 2023, the offense has simply been performing well. He’s credited not just with sustaining Josh Allen’s MVP-level play but with helping the QB drastically reduce the turnovers. The Titans are 1-5 with a minus-78 point differential, only marginally better than the injury-ravaged Bengals at minus-80. They are terrible, yes, but that means they’re set for a top draft pick. 

Will that mean they would keep Cam Ward, who’s managed just 1,101 yds in six games? Or will they trade for another top-tier rookie? Anyway, the team has decided to name coach Mike McCoy as an interim HC, replacing Brian Callahan.

And before the dream of Brady for the OC role can settle, we have to acknowledge the termination itself. Titans president Chad Brinker released the requisite statement, confirming they had “met with Brian Callahan this morning to tell him we are making a change at head coach.” Brinker added the classic PR garnish:

“These decisions are never easy, and they become more difficult when they involve people of great character.” The single victory this year was a farce: a 22-21 stumble over the Cardinals that featured Arizona fumbling a would-be INT into their own endzone for a gift TD, not to mention Cardinals RB Emari Demercado inexplicably dropping the ball before walking across the goal line.