The Tennessee Titans have needed a new head coach since Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season, and they finally got one on Monday evening. Mike Borgonzi, Chad Brinker and Amy Adams Strunk put their heads together and landed on Robert Saleh, the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator.
Saleh failed with the New York Jets in his first attempt at being an NFL head coach, as he was saddled by poor quarterback play and ineffective offensive play-calling. Hopefully, he has learned his lesson and can make those corrections now that he is in Tennessee.
Mike McDaniel has been floated as a potential offensive coordinator option. Saleh worked with McDaniel in the past, making him a potential dream offensive coordinator for the Titans. But Tennessee may have another sneaky-good candidate who can take Cam Ward to the next level as well: Brian Daboll.
Titans are being linked to Brian Daboll as a potential Robert Saleh OC
Daboll was fired by the New York Giants just months ago, but his reputation as a strong offensive mind in the NFL is still intact. On Tuesday, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported that Daboll's name has come up in the Titans' OC search.
"One name that has come up in Tennessee as Robert Saleh's offensive coordinator is Brian Daboll," Jones wrote. "He's presumably a head coach candidate in Buffalo and will likely wait to see there. But he's also taking OC interviews. Could the former New York head coaches unite in Nashville?"
While it would make for quite a storyline to see these former New York head coach rivals join forces on the same staff, that's not the real reason that Tennessee fans should be interested. Daboll is a quarterback whisperer as well.
He worked as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2017, where he worked intimately with Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones, all of whom are at least average NFL quarterbacks.
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Then, Daboll really made his money by helping develop Josh Allen when he was the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. Daboll also took Daniel Jones to the playoffs with the Giants, and he had Jaxson Dart playing at a high level at points as a rookie this past season.
Jones noted that Daboll will likely be a candidate for a head coach job with the Bills, as he was with the Titans. But he is also taking coordinator interviews with the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers. Daboll seems to be ready for any kind of gig, and Tennessee obviously likes him.
The worry that Daboll would just dart for another head coaching gig next offseason is a good problem to have. Plus, it would probably mean that Ward had quite the campaign under his tutelage if Daboll gets a promotion.
McDaniel may be the obvious choice, and the apple of the fanbase's eye, to an extent. But Daboll shouldn't be just kicked to the curb as a candidate, as he is a serious developer of quarterback talent. Ward could certainly use someone like that in his corner going forward.