Titans’ Assistant Coach Bolts to Bears After Being Demoted
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans revamped the coaching staff this offseason and head coach Mike Vrabel moved a lot of pieces around in the process. One coach who had his role changed, Luke Steckel, is now moving on to take a coaching position with the Chicago Bears.
According to the Chicago Bears team Twitter account Steckel is joining the Bears’ coaching staff as an offensive line assistant. Steckel was previously the tight ends coach for the Titans, but with the coaching changes in Nashville earlier this offseason had seen his role changed to run game analyst.
Going from a position coach to an offensive assistant in a self-scouting role could be seen as a demotion. Hard to see it as anything otherwise. It makes sense that Steckel would move on to a better role if that is the case. Especially, considering Steckel got an interview with the Los Angeles Chargers for their offensive coordinator position this offseason.
Steckel appears to be focused on advancing higher in the coaching ranks in the NFL and going from tight end coach to run game analyst wasn’t the path Steckel wants to follow. Being an offensive line assistant gives Steckel a chance to still be directly involved in a position group and grow his knowledge of how each position group operates.
Steckel’s demotion from tight ends coach to run game analyst was a surprise though. Steckel had been with the team since 2013 and his tight ends were some of the best performers on a poor offense in 2022. Steckel, as mentioned above, was interviewed for an offensive coordinator job this offseason and that is part of a pattern for Vrabel who has seen his tight end coach get promoted to a bigger role multiple times in his head coaching career.
Two things are now true, Steckel did not want to accept the demotion to run game analyst and the newly created position of run game analyst is currently open. How the Titans choose to fill this role will be interesting to watch as we continue through the 2023 offseason.
Taylor Lewan Released: In an expected move, the Tennessee Titans have officially released left tackle Taylor Lewan. With Lewan's release, it appears likely that Tennessee will begin looking for a new long-term starter at left tackle, whether through free agency or the draft. CLICK HERE
Robert Woods Released: According to a report from Jordan Schultz, the Titans are releasing veteran wide receiver Robert Woods. The move will clear $12 million in cap space while leaving behind $2.6 million in dead money. CLICK HERE
Titans' Free Agent Fits - Offensive Tackle: The biggest need the Tennessee Titans have on the roster right now is at left tackle. There will be a bevy of viable options to fill that need in free agency this offseason, at all price points. CLICK HERE
