NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans are closing in on hiring a new General Manager and in my eyes, Green Bay Packers VP of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan is the best candidate for the job.

Sullivan has everything the Titans are looking for. He is a football guy with an extensive scouting background that is considered to be an elite talent evaluator. 

Sullivan first join the Packers in 2003 as a training camp intern and has managed to climb the ladder in the years since. He was a regional scout from 2008 to 2015, the Director of College Scouting from 2016 to 2017, and has been working in the player personnel department for the last seven years.

His impact on the Packers organization is significant. Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst spoke to that earlier this week.

"I can't imagine a better candidate out there. I'm certainly very, very biased, but whoever gives him an opportunity, he's going to do an outstanding job. He's really impacted our organization in so many different ways. He'll be missed, but we also have a lot of guys that I think are ready to move into that space and if that's the case. But selfishly, I'd like him back. But I think he's absolutely 100% ready for this opportunity and excited for him," said Gutekunst. 

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Tennessee is really looking for a General Manager who can handle the scouting side of things for President of Football Operations Chad Brinker. Sullivan should have no problem sliding into a role that requires a boots-on-the-ground approach to player evaluation.

I love the fact that he comes from Green Bay – one of the most consistent and successful organizations of the last 30 years.

The Packers are 218-136-2 since Sullivan joined the organization in 2003. That’s the best mark in the NFC by a wide margin. Green Bay has been to the playoffs 18 times since 2000, more than any other team. Sullivan has been up close and personal, witnessing how a first class organization does business. 

In recent years, he has been able to get his fingerprints on the roster that continues to make playoff appearances and contend despite some serious turnover.

But more than anything, I love Sullivan‘s relationship with Brinker, who also cut his teeth working for the Packers. For 13 seasons, Sullivan and Brinker were colleagues in Green Bay’s scouting department. They were also morning workout buddies and have developed a good chemistry over time.

The struggle for power that has existed within the Titans front office for the last couple of years is no longer a secret. Ran Carthon and Mike Vrabel did not always see eye-to-eye. Even after Vrabel was let go, there were a lot of questions about whether Carthon or Brinker had final say on roster decisions. Overall, there have been too many cooks in the kitchen. Too many vision. Not enough harmony. Amy Adams Strunk certainly has not helped with her impatience.

Tennessee needs to get aligned from the top down. Hiring Sullivan as the GM to work alongside Brinker towards a unified vision would be a huge step in the right direction for an organization that is currently perceived as dysfunctional. Not only is Sullivan a qualified and worthy candidate, he’s the only candidate with enough history with Brinker to have his full trust.

So not only do I think Jon-Eric Sullivan is the likely hire for the Titans, I think it’s the right one. He had his second round of interviews in Nashville on Thursday. All that’s left to do is wait for the Titans' final decision.

When to expect the Tennessee Titans to hire a new General Manager

A new GM hire is coming soon for the Titans.