Titans Working to Add Experience to Offensive Staff

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans are working on a deal to add former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly to the coaching staff.

Kelly would not replace Todd Downing as the offensive coordinator, per a source, but instead would have a role with the offense similar to that of Jim Schwartz with the defense. Schwartz was named the Titans’ senior defensive assistant coach prior to the 2021 season and earned the praise of both head coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen for helping turn around the team’s defense.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler originally reported the Titans were talking to Kelly.

Kelly has a relationship with Titans head coach Mike Vrabel from the years the two spent together with the Texans. Both started with that organization in 2014.

Kelly was the Texans’ offensive quality control coach from 2014-15 and added the title of assistant offensive line coach in 2016. In 2017 and 2018, Kelly served as the Texans’ tight end coach

In 2019, he took over as the Texans’ offensive coordinator, a position he held the past three seasons. He was also Houston’s quarterbacks coach in 2020.

Kelly is the brother of former Titans tackle Dennis Kelly, now with the Green Bay Packers.

Houston’s offense struggled last season, finishing last in yards, 30th in points per game (16.5), last in rushing yards and 28th in passing yards. But the Texans’ two quarterbacks were journeyman Tyrod Taylor and rookie Davis Mills while Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson sat out the season. The Texans’ top running back was veteran backup Rex Burkhead, and the only established receiving threat was Brandin Cooks.

Here’s how the Texans’ offense fared in the two previous seasons under Kelly: 13th in yards, 19th in points, fourth in passing yards and 31st in rushing yards in 2020; 13th overall in yards, 14th in points, 15th in passing yards and ninth in rushing yards in 2019.

In Downing’s first season Tennessee’s offense dropped from second (in 2020) to 17th in yards and from fourth to 15th in points. The Titans scored an average of one fewer touchdown per game in 2021, falling from 30.7 points per game in 2020 to 24.6 per game in 2021.

But injuries played a big part in those numbers as well. Derrick Henry, the league’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year, missed the final nine regular-season games with a foot injury. Julio Jones was limited to 10 games and A.J. Brown to 13. The Titans also missed the contributions of tight end Jonnu Smith, who signed with New England prior to the 2021 season.

Should Kelly be hired, he would apparently be the second former Texans assistant coach to join Vrabel’s staff. Former Texans inside linebacker coach Bobby King will replace Jim Haslett for the Titans in that role, per Paul Kuharsky of paulkuharsky.com.