Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan is feeling the heat. The Titans are off to an 0-3 start in 2025 after finishing an NFL-worse 3-14 in 2024. With comparisons and a similar record to previous coaching failure Ken Whisenunt, Callahan's job security is officially in question.
Callahan was hired for his offensive-minded approach. The Titans currently rank 28th in points scored and 31st in yards after concluding 2024 in 27th and 26th in those respective categories. With Callahan struggling to balance play-calling duties with in-game management, the team collectively made a sizable decision on Tuesday.
Callahan announced he is giving up play-calling duties. Quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree will call plays moving forward. It's a last-ditch effort to save Callahan's job, but a worthwhile decision nonetheless.
Titans HC Brian Callahan tries to save his job with last-ditch effort by giving up play-calling duties
.@Titans HC Brian Callahan on giving up the play-calling duties to Bo Hardegree. pic.twitter.com/ghfNyHhp1D
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 23, 2025
Callahan has undeniably struggled to balance play-calling responsibilities with in-game management. In Week 1, he failed to challenge an Elic Ayomanor elbow-tapping catch partially because discussions over whether or not to request a replay review were simultaneously ongoing as he was spitting out the next play to rookie quarterback Cam Ward. Play calls must be delivered in a very timely fashion.
In Week 3, Callahan was deciding between attempting a field goal or a fourth-down conversion near halftime. Even after consecutive timeouts by the Indianapolis Colts and Titans, the special teams unit was late to replace the offense on the field and took a costly (and embarrassing) delay of game penalty. If Callahan was tasked with making one of those decisions instead of both, perhaps he would have reached a swift and appropriate conclusion.
That's the motivation behind a play-calling change. Callahan has proven incapable of making numerous decisions at once in the timely manner required to run a successful operation in the NFL. Considering Callahan never called plays for the Cincinnati Bengals in his previous stop, doing so in Tennessee while also balancing head coaching duties for the first time has proven to be too much.
So quarterbacks coach Hardegree will call plays moving forward. He has experience doing so, as the Las Vegas Raiders' 2023 interim offensive coordinator after Josh McDaniels' firing. The Raiders offense improved under Hardegree, averaging roughly seven more points and nearly 40 more yards per game, highlighted by a 63-point performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in primetime.
The Titans want organizational continuity. Callahan is making it difficult to actually achieve, because his performance warrants a dismissal. All parties involved are hoping that removing play-calling duties from Callahan's plate will lead to new life.