After a weekend of interviews, president of football operations Chad Brinker has cut the list of potential Tennessee Titans GMs nearly in half. Head coach Brian Callahan and owner Amy Adams Strunk will be involved in the second wave of interviews, which is happening this week. A hire could be imminent.
It is important that things start moving quickly because the Titans aren't the only team searching for a GM. If the Titans want to secure their top pick, they can't let a team sneak in and steal them away while they examine a deep pool of candidates.
As of Tuesday morning, the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders are interested in multiple candidates who have made it to Tennessee's second round of interviews.
Through Tom Brady, the Las Vegas Raiders have a strong connection to Tampa Bay's John Spytek.
Bucs assistant GM John Spytek is scheduled to interview for a second this week for the Raiders general manager job, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2025
Spytek is highly thought of throughout the NFL, and the Buccaneers have been great at consistently reloading in the draft while making smart choices in free agency.
One impressive example of identifying talented players who fit what they do without breaking the bank was the resurrection of Baker Mayfield's career. Then-OC Dave Canales had a big hand in that, but he left at the end of 2023 to be the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, and the front office quickly identified Liam Coen to replace him. Tampa's offense didn't miss a beat.
A day after the Titans interviewed Green Bay Packers VP of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, the Jets scheduled an interview with him. That development is something to watch because Sullivan seems like a very strong candidate for the Titans considering he spent more than a decade with Brinker in Green Bay. He's also set to interview with the Raiders for their opening.
Arguably the best GM candidate in this hiring cycle is Kansas City Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi. As Brett Veach's right-hand man, Borgonzi has played a big role in transforming that franchise from a bottom dweller to a dynasty.
He will be interviewed by the Titans for a second time this week, but he is quietly a name to watch for the Jets as well. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler says that he is a "strong candidate" for the GM job in East Rutherford.
#Titans will conduct second interview with #Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi on Wednesday, per source. Borgonzi also is a strong candidate for the New York Jets job.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 14, 2025
It is great news that the Titans are involved with coveted GM candidates. They're coveted for a reason, and if this franchise wants to get back on the rails, they have to hire brilliant football minds.
Armed with a lot of cap space, the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and playing in the AFC South, the Titans can make a very compelling argument for having the best GM opening in the league. Now it is up to ownership and Brinker to present that case and to make this job as appealing as possible.
Time will tell how this goes, but fans should be pleasantly surprised by how the GM search is going for this team.