The Tennessee Titans announced a bombshell on Tuesday by firing general manager Ran Carthon. Owner Amy Adams Strunk confirmed the news via an official statement, also stating that Brian Callahan will remain the head coach. It's the latest sign of dysfunction from the organization.
Statement from Amy Adams Strunk. #Titans pic.twitter.com/Ydws8YtXIE
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) January 7, 2025
Carthon was appointed general manager in January of 2023. Shortly after, he brought Chad Brinker into the organization as assistant general manager. Rumors of friction between Carthon and then-head coach Mike Vrabel ran rampant throughout that campaign. The following January, Adams Strunk fired Vrabel amidst his reported power struggle with the front office.
Carthon entered that offseason having clear oversight of the franchise. He was promoted to the additional title of executive vice president in January 2024, approximately one year after his initial appointment. Meanwhile, Brinker made such a quick impression on Adams Strunk that he was swiftly promoted to president of football operations, peculiarly now sitting atop the organization's flow chart, even higher than the GM who hired him.
Perhaps it's unsurprising that in Adams Strunk's statement, she defined that Brinker will lead the search for the next GM. Taking it a step further, CEO Burke Nihill confirmed to the team website that "Chad will be the final authority on all football matters, including the roster." That insinuates Brinker is essentially the GM, regardless of who he hires. Why hire a GM at all, or why not simply give Brinker the title?
Perhaps the biggest bombshell of all is Adams Strunk confirming that Callahan will remain the head coach. What sort of GM candidate is interested in inheriting a first-year, inexperienced head coach that went 3-14 and earned the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft? Pairing that with having to answer to Brinker on all personnel-related matters further diminishes the pool of potential candidates who will possess legitimate interest in this messy job.
This isn't Adams Strunk's first rodeo. She's apparently allergic to conducting proper resets. When she fired GM Ruston Webster in 2016, one of her first big decisions, she forced the next leader, Jon Robinson, to keep Mike Mularkey as head coach. Robinson entertained her for a year, fired Mularkey after a season in which the Titans won a playoff game, and appointed his preferred candidate, Vrabel. The next GM may do something similar, fawning mutual interest in retaining Callahan before eventually making his preferences heard.
Adams Strunk's decision to fire Carthon may feel rash, but it's justified. The now-ex GM failed to improve the franchise throughout two campaigns in charge despite committing more than $300 million in free agency this past offseason. Callahan and Brinker were complicit in those plans, with many of the players acquired possessing direct ties to Callahan. Considering how often the word "collaborate" was shoved down our throats last season, all parties involved should have been held accountable, not one individual.
The Titans possessed an opportunity to clean house. A disappointing 3-14 campaign should have spearheaded full-measure change. Unfortunately, Adams Strunk opted for another half measure. She can't help herself, as she continues leading one of the most directionless franchises in the National Football League.