The firing of General Manager Jon Robinson made a loud statement about the standards for the Tennessee Titans organization moving forward. Owner Amy Adams Strunk is making one thing clear: Mediocrity is not good enough.

It also sends a clear message regarding head coach Mike Vrabel. He is the captain of this ship moving forward, and this just as big of a commitment to Vrabel as it is an indictment of Robinson.

Committing to Vrabel 

Vrabel has proven time and time again that he is capable of doing more with less. He takes an underwhelming Titans roster, and finds a way to make a winner out of them. He unlocks the very best football in the players who buy in to him and his staff, and ownership believes in him.

That being said, the Titans have reached a point where Vrabel no longer has the tools at his disposal to realistically contend. Sure, the Titans can win 10 games and go back to the playoffs as AFC South champions, but as we've seen played out during the 2022 season, this roster does not hold a candle to the elite teams around the league.

Listening to Vrabel throughout the season, you could sense frustration beginning to build in regards to the roster he is dealing with. Earlier in the season, Vrabel made a comment to Ed Werder of ESPN about the run-heavy offense where he said "I don’t what else we would do, throw it 50 times? I mean, who the (bleep) would we throw it to?" following a game in Kansas City where Titans wide receivers did not catch a single pass.

Asked Mike Vrabel sustainability of Derrick Henry taking 26-plus carries every game. “We’ve been able to use him and he’s helped us win a lot of games since I’ve been here. I don’t what else we would do _ throw it 50 times? I mean, who the (bleep) would we throw it to?’’

— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) November 7, 2022

As recently as Monday, Vrabel responded to my question about the Titans needing to shift their offensive identity by saying that they had "no other identity to go to." He also suggested that he could not make many lineup changes because of what he's working with on the roster. He's out of options because of the hand that has been dealt to him.

Finally, A.J. Brown's big game against his former team was the straw that broke the camel's back. Strunk and ownership do not like the direction the roster is headed, and they will be giving Vrabel more control moving forward.

Mike Vrabel expected to have significant power after #Titans' dismissal of general manager Jon Robinson, according to league sources

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 6, 2022

The Titans are doing things a bit backwards, but keeping Vrabel happy in Tennessee is worth it. The team will now hope to find a General Manager that can propel them forward as one of the elite organizations in pro football while working in unison with Vrabel towards building a championship caliber roster.

They are turning power over to their proven head coach, and this feels like the right decision. Turning this roster around given the cap restrictions is going to be an uphill battle, but it was time to move on and go all-in on the guy you believe in the most.

Amy Adams Strunk chose her HC over her GM, and it's nice to see an owner who will do whatever it takes to achieve excellence.

Image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com-Nashville