Robert Saleh Hire Shows How Far Apart Jaguars and Titans Really Are

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It is a new day in the AFC South.

As the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans still lick their wounds from emotional playoff exits, the Tennessee Titans have found a new leader moving forward.

What Saleh Hire Says

The Titans officially landed on former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh as their replacement for Brian Callahan, which means the Titans finally have a direction to follow after a rudderless 2025 season that saw Callahan become the first coach fired.

There are layers to Saleh landing with the Titans, layers that obviously start with his drama with Jaguars head coach Liam Coen. But there are other connections as well, such as Saleh being in the running to be the Jaguars' head coach last year before Coen got the gig.

Last year, the Jags narrowed their choices down to Liam Coen and Robert Saleh. They spent hours with both and chose the former. Saleh, devastated, accepted the news and went to SF. This year, he had eyes on Titans job. He and Nagy spent today interviewing... and it was HIS time.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) January 20, 2026

Saleh was largely seen as an option in the event the Jaguars kept general manager Trent Baalke. Saleh was scheduled for a second interview with the Jaguars before Baalke was ousted and the Jaguars made progress with Coen, their first choice who originally said he was sticking with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as head coach.

Saleh was never seen as an option above Coen, though. Not before or after the events that led to Baalke leaving the franchise. Coen was identified by the Jaguars early on in the process and he quickly became the clear favorite.

liam coe — Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, left, and new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen pose for a photo after speaking and being introduced during a press conference Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At the time, it is fair to say there was not exactly a lot of excitement brewing in Jacksonville circles about Saleh. He is a fine head coach who was never going to work in New York due to their quarterback issues, but he was certainly seen by many as a less-than-ideal option for Shad Khan and the Jaguars.

For the Titans, though? Hiring Saleh right now seems like one of their biggest wins in years. Part of this likely has to do with the fact that the Titans' other option seemed to be Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy who, well, would have been a uniquely uninspiring candidate. Instead of going with the worst-case scenario, the Titans pivoted to Saleh.

robert sale — Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh walks off of the field after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

But that in itself says it all. Nashville fans and media are treating this like a great moment for the Titans because in comparison to a Nagy hire, it is. Meanwhile, a Saleh hire in Jacksonville a year ago would have gotten the Nagy reaction. These are two franchises going in two different directions, and the reaction to Saleh's hiring only confirms that.

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