Titans President of Football Operations Chad Brinker Steps Down: What it Means

There was some major news involving the Tennessee Titans that broke on Tuesday night. In an official post by the team, it was announced that executive Chad Brinker would be stepping down from his role as President of Football Operations with the Titans.

"It has been an honor to serve as president of football operations of the Tennessee Titans," Brinker said in a statement. "Over the years, I've understood and embraced my role as the leader of the football strategy, but as I've spent less time in personnel, I have a renewed conviction that it is time to return to what I love and move towards my next chapter. I'm grateful for (controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk's) understanding in my decision, and for allowing me to pursue other opportunities.

"I'm proud of the work we've done over the past three years ― under challenging circumstances ― to begin the process of getting the Titans football organization back on track, not the least of which was last year's general manager search. I believe the Titans have exceptional people and long-term stability at the general manager position and throughout the scouting department. While there is work to be done, I believe we've laid the foundation to restore the Titans to its rightful place as a sustainable, winning program.

"My family and I will always be grateful for Amy's belief and trust in me, and for our time in Tennessee."

Brinker was originally hired by Amy Adams Strunk in 2023 after spending the previous 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers in multiple different roles. Brinker's original role with the Titans was assistant general manager under previous general manager Ran Carthon.

Brinker led the search to hire current GM Mike Borgonzi, and during Borgonzi's first season as GM, Brinker reportedly had final say on all roster matters. However, the roles were flipped at the end of 2025, with Borgonzi now having the final say. It has been reported that Brinker became unhappy with his new role and holds a desire to return to the scouting side of things.

Chad Brinker, president of football operations for the Tennessee Titans, left, and Mike Borgonzi, general manager, field questions from the media at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, July 22, 2025. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What Does Brinker Leaving Mean for Titans?

Considering the fact that Borgonzi has had roster control since the end of 2025, Brinker leaving is less consequential than it would have been last season. Brinker was reportedly still involved in the head coaching search, that led to Robert Saleh being hired but was less involved in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Titans and Amy Adams Strunk received plenty of criticism for the unique front office setup with Brinker and Borgonzi, so Strunk tried to simplify things and give the team a more traditional setup. The only problem is that this change clearly made Brinker unhappy. However, Borgonzi has made a series of prudent moves as the chief decision-maker, so there's no reason to think Brinker leaving will affect the positive momentum the franchise is trying to build.

Now, the team's front office setup is even simpler- Borgonzi is the GM and chief decision maker, and he's joined by assistant general manager Dave Ziegler and vice president/football advisor Reggie McKenzie. Both Ziegler and McKenzie are former GMs, so there's still plenty of experience and football knowledge in the building.

Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi speaks to members of the media during a pre NFL draft press conference held at the Titans practice facility Thursday, April 16, 2026. | Alan Poizner/For The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Not a Sign of Trouble

To sum it up: Brinker was basically a bridge between Borgonzi and Strunk. Brinker handled operations and development, while Borgonzi handled player personnel. Borgonzi had roster control before this move, and he'll obviously continue to have it. It will be interesting to see if the team makes an outside hire to replace Brinker, or if Brinker's responsibilities will simply be delegated among current executives.

You'll see plenty of national media people, who have no clue about the inner workings of the organization, cling to this news and make it seem like another product of organizational dysfunction. However, I really don't think that's the case here. I believe Brinker was willing to try a new role, decided he didn't like it, and simply wants to go back to his roots.

At the end of the day, the chief decision-maker is still the chief decision-maker. If you feel good about the moves the team has made in 2026, there's no reason you shouldn't still feel good today. Brinker will likely go back a scouting/personnel role for another team, and now there will be even less confusion about who's running things in Nashville.

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