Titans Eyeing Pair of Defensive Coordinators for HC Opening

Now that the 2026 offseason is officially upon the Tennessee Titans, their combined six-win mark from the previous two campaigns can be thrust into the past in favor of who is going to be brought in to fix them next.

After the almost inarguably early firing of head coach Mike Vrabel, before the subsequent hiring and speedy firing of Brian Callahan in the same position, the Titans remain in about as good a position as any team going through coaches at that rate could wish to be.

With a league-high cap space and bevy of young talent to build off of, Tennessee's opening offers plenty of reason for any given candidate to take a swing on the opportunity. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the franchise isn't taking this offseason's vast selection for granted.

Handful of Defense-Oriented Candidates

"While the Titans could focus on offense-minded head coach candidates due to the need to develop Cam Ward, Tennessee is legitimately intrigued by a handful of defense-oriented candidates, too," Fowler noted in his report. "San Francisco's Robert Saleh is one. Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula is another."

Although the bulk of their search, and the rumors surrounding it, have honed in on those offense-minded candidates thus far, two defensive candidates who have long been tied to the franchise are emerging as potential, reputable options.

The #Titans are "legitimately intrigued" with 49ers DC Robert Saleh and Rams DC Chris Shula, per @JFowlerESPN.

👀👀👀 #TitanUp pic.twitter.com/2ljt6uZdgZ
— SharmSports (@SharmSports) January 7, 2026

"The Titans will be open-minded, knowing they can pair a defensive head coach with a strong, established offensive playcaller," he continued. "Some of the candidates to interview for the head coaching position could become coordinator options, too. Landing a strong staff for the head coach is paramount for Tennessee's new front office."

Tennessee's stipulation for hiring a defense-leaning coach, according to Fowler, would be tying him in with an offensive mind of equal veracity. One way or another, the Titans will suit Cam Ward with a proper scheme to outline his development.

Even so, the franchise is keeping their options over at the top of the coaching chain to the fullest extent.

Covering Every Base

While a coach with a history on the offensive side of the ball may be better suited to the Titans' developmental whims, Tennessee clearly wants to cover every base in their search to ensure that things don't end this time around like they did with Callahan.

As interviews are scheduled and the hunt trudges on, fans will be forced to wait with bated breath as new news drops every day on the topic.

Regardless, if the Titans end up with either of the DC's at hand, they will have at least secured steely coaching experience and, assumedly, brought in a polarizing offensive mind alongside it to boot. Tennessee could do a lot worse, if not only because Matt Nagy is still in the mix.

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