Top Two Decision-Makers Get Contract Extensions

General manager Jon Robinson and coach Mike Vrabel have led the franchise to three playoff appearances in four years.

George Walker IV / Tennessean.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

NASHVILLE – Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk has rewarded those who’ve most contributed to the franchise’s changing culture.

The Tennessee Titans on Tuesday extended the contracts of general manager Jon Robinson and coach Mike Vrabel. The lengths of those extensions was not revealed..

In addition, the Titans made official the hiring of two new coaches – Tim Kelly as the team’s passing coordinator, and Bobby King as its inside linebackers coach. Both men had worked with Vrabel when he was with the Houston Texans.

The new contracts for Robinson and Vrabel come a month after the Titans posted a 12-5 regular-season record, winning the AFC South for a second straight year and qualifying for the playoffs for a third straight season. The Titans’ season came to an end when they lost 19-16 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round of the playoffs.

“I am proud to say that Jon and Mike will be leading our football team for years to come,” Adams Strunk said. “I have seen the team improve on a yearly basis under their direction, and I know their singular goal is to deliver a championship for our fans. Together they have developed a culture within our organization that has been essential to our success.

“Their values align with mine and what I want the Titans to be. They demand excellence from themselves and others, work well together, are always striving to improve and they care deeply for our players and staff.”

The Titans have posted winning seasons in each of the six years since Robinson was hired in 2016, after the team had won a combined five games in the two years before his arrival. Robinson guided the search that led to Vrabel, who has posted a 41-24 regular-season record. The Titans reached the AFC Championship game in 2019 before falling to Kansas City. Vrabel was recently named the NFL coach of the year by the Pro Football Writers of America.

As for the new coaches, Kelly and Vrabel were both hired by the Texans organization in 2014.

Kelly served as the Texans’ offensive quality control coach from 2014-15, adding the title of assistant offensive line coach in 2016. In 2017, Kelly switched positions, serving as the Texans’ tight end coach that year and in 2018.

In 2019, Kelly 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’ offensive 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 that could be blamed on a lack of personnel, as the Texans’ two quarterbacks were journeyman Tyrod Taylor and rookie Davis Mills. Quarterback Deshaun Watson sat out the season. The Texans’ top running back was veteran back-up 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: In 2020, the team was 13th overall in yardage, 19th in points, fourth in passing yardage and 31st in rushing yardage. In 2019, the Texans were 13th overall in yardage, 14th in points, 15th in passing yardage and ninth in rushing yardage.

The Titans struggled offensively last season, Todd Downing’s first year as the team’s offensive coordinator after taking over for Arthur Smith. The offense dropped from second (in 2020) to 17th in overall yards, from fourth to 15th in points per game. In addition, the Titans scored an average of one touchdown less 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 the Titans’ offensive struggles 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.

On the other side of the ball, King – who replaces Jim Haslett -- brings 12 years of NFL coaching experience to the Titans, including eight seasons (2017-21, 2011-13) with the Texans. He served as Houston’s defensive line coach last year after leading the inside linebackers from 2017-20.

In 2020, former Houston linebacker Zach Cunningham led the NFL with a career-high 163 tackles. The Titans added Cunningham to their lineup during the 2021 season after Houston placed him on waivers. Also on King’s watch, former Houston linebacker Benardrick McKinney in 2018 earned Pro Bowl honors.

King will lead a group of Titans inside linebackers that saw mixed results in two seasons under Haslett. Inside linebacker David Long made big strides during a breakout 2021 season, and Cunningham made a quick impact on the Titans as well this year. The development of former starters Rashaan Evans (a first-round draft pick in 2018) and Jayon Brown, meanwhile, seemed to stall over the past two seasons.