The Tennessee Titans are set to hire Arizona Cardinals chief operating officer Jeremy Walls as the team’s new chief business officer, sources tell A to Z Sports.

The Titans announced the new position in an internal message the first week of October from President and CEO Burke Nihill. That message followed the firing of three vice presidents, then leaked to Paul Kuharsky, and has since made waves across the fanbase and social media.

Walls announced in August that he would be leaving Arizona. It’s unclear if the departure is related to the job in Tennessee, but now we know where he’s headed.

Jared Stillman also on the news, independent of A to Z Sports.

Update: the Titans issued a statement to Kuharsky on this Walls hire report.

“We have not yet made a final selection for our open CBO role. We look forward to providing an update when that process is complete.”

Jeremy Walls brings 20 years of pro sports business experience to the Titans

Walls has spent more than 20 years in pro sports, working on the business side in the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball.

The Cardinals hired him in August 2023 and praised the experience he built with the Miami Dolphins. Sports Business Journal reported Aug. 14 that Walls will be stepping down from his role at the end of the 2026 season. The report added that Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill sent an email to team staff following Walls’ announcement thanking Walls for his efforts, and that Arizona had begun searching for his replacement.

No reason was given for his departure.

Here’s the full path that brought him to this point:

– Arizona Cardinals (2023-present): Chief operating officer 

– Miami Dolphins (2013-23): Senior marketing and revenue positions, ultimately chief revenue officer 

– San Diego Padres (two seasons): Vice president of ticket sales, service, and operations 

– NBA league office (2009-11): Team marketing and business operations 

– Arizona Diamondbacks (2007-09): Group sales and inside sales leadership 

– Phoenix Suns (2002-06): Group sales

He also won Sports Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award in 2017.

Why Walls fits the new Nissan Stadium

This is the part of his résumé that matters most for Tennessee.

At State Farm Stadium, Walls oversaw new field-level luxury suites, end zone Casitas, and exclusive hospitality clubs in 2024. The Cardinals then added the Casa Roja at the Fifty in 2025. The Titans are about to open a building that places a significant emphasis on premium seating and hospitality, and Walls has already worked on monetizing luxury seating.

Ticket sales also grew on Walls’ watch. In May 2024, the Cardinals reported they had already exceeded the previous season’s season ticket sales.

His time in Miami matters too. As the Dolphins’ chief revenue officer, Walls oversaw corporate partnerships and marketing. He also had commercial responsibilities for the Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open tennis tournament.

Tennessee is expecting the new Nissan Stadium to host major events well beyond 10 Sundays a year. Walls has done that work in both Miami and Arizona.

The complications on Walls’ résumé

AZFamily reported Oct. 12, the day before sources shared the hiring news with A to Z Sports. 

“A federal judge has ruled that discrimination lawsuit filed by two former Arizona Cardinals employees must be settled via third-party rather than in open court, handing the team a win in its bid to keep the case out of the courtroom,” via AZ Family.

A U.S. District Judge granted the Cardinals’ motion to compel arbitration Oct. 5, finding both former employees signed valid arbitration agreements as a condition of their employment.

One of those former employees, Kendra Hogue, sued Bidwill, Walls, and the organization April 23. Hogue worked as Walls’ executive assistant for about two months, from Sept. 9 to Nov. 8, 2024.

“(Hogue) alleges she faced racial discrimination, harassment, retaliation and disparate treatment that created working conditions forcing her to resign,” per AZ Family’s report.

“The team strongly denies these claims and will prove they have no merit,” the Cardinals told Arizona Sports’ Tyler Drake in a statement. “Because it is an active legal matter, the team will refrain from further comment.”

Arizona asked the court June 1 to compel arbitration. The team argued both former employees had signed agreements requiring that employment disputes go through binding arbitration rather than a lawsuit. According to Arizona Sports, Hogue’s complaint involves comments allegedly made by Walls and/or other Cardinals managers and employees “as part of a toxic workplace.”

In January 2024, just five months after Walls arrived, the Cardinals laid off fewer than 10 business side employees. That included three senior executives: the CFO, a VP of business development, and a VP of digital content. ESPN reported the departures followed an internal business review directed by Walls.

The Titans have already fired three business executives, most notably senior VP and chief revenue officer Adam Nuse, along with senior VP of brand marketing Erin Swartz and VP of creative Charles Jensen.

Could a familiar face follow Walls to Nashville?

One more name worth watching: Surf Melendez, the Cardinals’ VP of content, creative, and brand.

Titans fans might recognize the name. The team announced three front office hires together June 25, 2020: Adolfo Birch as senior VP of business affairs and chief legal officer, Melendez as creative director arriving from the Dolphins, and Dan Werly as general counsel. Melendez stayed in Nashville through 2024. Those three hires were weeks after Nihill was promoted to President and CEO after Steve Underwood’s retirement on May 8. 

It’s easy to connect the dots from there. Walls and Melendez overlapped in Miami from 2013-20. Melendez then overlapped with Birch and Nihill in Tennessee from 2020-24, before joining Walls in Arizona.

A to Z Sports has not confirmed that Melendez will join Walls in Tennessee.

Walls’ expected hiring identifies who will lead the revenue, marketing and communications operation outlined in last week’s internal restructuring memo. His experience selling premium seating and overseeing major events gives the Titans a clear business rationale for the choice as they prepare to open the new Nissan Stadium.

The timing of his arrival and the leadership team he will assemble remain unanswered.