The Tennessee Titans are officially beginning the process to appoint their next general manager after firing Ran Carthon earlier this week. President of football operations Chad Brinker, who sits atop Tennessee's new power structure, is overseeing the process. The Titans have identified nine total candidates, including Kansas City Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi, Chicago Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, and Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, among others.
Albert Breer is reporting on the Titans' interview schedule. The nine candidates will interview virtually Thursday through Sunday. In-person interviews with a handful of finalists will presumably follow early next week. The Titans could appoint a new general manager within the week, and reports indicate an early favorite has already emerged.
Titans' early front-runner to be next GM revealed
Dianna Russini is reporting that Miami Dolphins senior personnel executive Reggie McKenzie is considered the favorite. That's both a bit surprising and disappointing. It's difficult to understand how McKenzie fits what Brinker laid out the Titans are looking for in his statement, "a top-flight, top-level evaluator."
The Titans are gonna go through the process and I’d expect Reggie McKenzie to get a lot of support.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 10, 2025
I would consider him to be the lead candidate for Tennessee. https://t.co/PVVR1vus0x
McKenzie is the most experienced candidate on the nine-man list, but certainly the least modern if the Titans are truly searching for a cutting-edge evaluator who believes in drafting and retaining talent. McKenzie was the Raiders' GM from 2012-18. The team compiled a woeful record of 40-72 throughout his tenure.
McKenzie was Green Bay's director of football operations from 2008-11, crossing paths with Brinker. He's the only candidate on the nine-man list to have directly worked alongside Brinker. McKenzie possesses various local ties as well. He's a Knoxville native and played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers.
McKenzie's track record in Oakland leaves plenty to be desired. The list of head coaches he hired throughout his reign include Dennis Allen, Jack Del Rio, Tony Sparano (interim), and Jon Gruden. The Raiders lost 10-plus games in five of McKenzie's seven seasons in charge.
McKenzie did experience some short-lived success with the Raiders. In back-to-back drafts (2014-15), McKenzie added talents like Amari Cooper, Khalil Mack, and Derek Carr. The Raiders improved from 3-13 in 2014 to 7-9 in 2015, and finally, 12-4 in 2016.
McKenzie was named the 2016 NFL Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America for his efforts. The Raiders quickly regressed, however, going 6-10 in 2017 and 4-12 in 2018. McKenzie was fired following the 2018 campaign.