Widely mocked Titans GM job is much more attractive than its perception amongst Jets and Raiders gigs
The newest Tennessee executive will be so much more than an “Assistant GM”
By the time you read this, there’s a chance the Tennessee Titans have already hired their new General Manager. Six finalists for the position interviewed in-person with the team this week, and the expectation is that the hire will be made over this Divisional Round weekend or shortly thereafter.
The list of finalists who agreed to come to Nashville to win the job is as strong a group as I can remember for a major position with the Titans. I don’t see a single unqualified, unexciting name on this list. And the fact that all six of these gentlemen are actually interested in the opening came as a surprise to many, since the perception of what the new Titans GM role actually is has changed in recent days.
In the wake of Ran Carthon’s firing, we heard details about the new opening and tweaked structure from Titans brass. President of Football Operations Chad Brinker, President & CEO Burke Nihill, and controlling Owner Amy Adams Strunk all spoke or gave statements about the change, explaining how they no longer felt Carthon fit the role as it evolved from what he had been originally been hired to do. Brinker is heading up the search for Carthon’s replacement, and going forward, will be the one with the final say over the roster.
Naturally, this sparked a reaction of confusion and dismissal over what power the new GM actually has. Media and fans alike scoffed at the new “assistant GM” that was going to be hired with a phony GM title. The position has been called a puppet or scapegoat role, somebody who will be brought in to suffer Chad Brinker’s defeats and not share in his successes. At first glance, it really is reasonable to have these concerns and wonder aloud, “what kind of quality GM candidate would want this Mickey Mouse job?”. I myself espoused a similar reaction when the job first came open.
But in the days since, after some critical thinking and some conversations with those who have NFL experience, my opinion has changed drastically. I think we’re wildly underestimating the attractiveness of the Titans GM job. And I have 8 reasons why, that may just change your mind too:
Lack of Stability
Most people’s negative opinion of this job stem from two factors: franchise instability, and not having final roster say. Let’s address them one at a time.
First up: instability. The Titans have reached the point where they’re generally viewed as an unstable franchise at the very top. Reasonable or not, Owner Amy Adams Strunk has fired her GM or Head Coach three times in as many seasons. That’s not exactly a reassuring fact if you’re interested in taking one of those jobs!
And if you ask me, this is the strongest mark against the opening. I’m not here to debunk this one, because there’s no avoiding the truth: the Titans franchise has a quick trigger right now at the top of the pyramid, and you can question how clear Amy Adams Strunk’s vision for the franchise actually is. But what is also true is that GM openings don’t often entail joining a team that’s know for their stability.
An opportunity to interview for a GM job almost certainly means somebody just got fired. And when a GM is fired, that almost always means the team is in a pretty rough spot. Take the Titans competition in the GM market this year for example: the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets. For all of the Titans problems, they’re going up against the Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum of instability in the modern NFL. It’s not hard to argue the Titans job is the most stable of the three at this moment, because of just how low that bar is.
Scarcity
If you’re a top GM candidate who is only interested in historically stable openings, then have fun waiting. And when they do come open, good luck winning the race for the most competitive opening in recent memory. Being picky with a job as scarce and coveted as NFL GM is a recipe for never becoming an NFL GM.
And in this cycle, there are only three openings. It’s a lean year for chances to climb to the top wrung. And when there are more than a half-dozen overqualified candidates to get to the top, risks have to be taken.
Final Say Over The Roster
This is the other main point people have made about the Titans job: you aren’t even in control of the roster! How can you be a real GM if Chad Brinker is the one dictating all of the football decisions?!
I spoke recently with a pair of men who have extensive high level coaching experience in the NFL. They both told me the same thing most people in the league would tell you about it: who has “final say” is way overblown by fans and the media.
The reason we care so much from the outside looking in is simple: we want clarity on who is responsible for things. When there is praise to be handed out, we want to know who deserves it. And more importantly, when there are criticisms to make, we want to know whose name needs to be attached to our #Fire(blank) hashtags.
But when you’re actually on the inside, involved in the final discussions that are had about players, there is really only one person's “final say” that matters: the owner. Outside of extremely rare instances, that's the only individual in an organization who is liable to strongarm a personnel decision.
One of the coaches I spoke with explained how in well over a decade in the league, he could count on one hand the number of times he's seen a GM, Head Coach, and/or President strongly disagree on a roster decision. That's because this job really does boil down to teamwork and compromise. While Chad Brinker technically has the gavel he can swing on paper, in reality that isn't something that happens. Outside of bizarre, power-hungry and dysfunctional office situations, these top decision makers on a team come together and find players they can agree on. They work to align their vision for the team, and they adjust the roster to fit that vision.
I think when people imagine the "final say" situation in their heads, it looks something like the new GM and/or Brian Callahan wanting to draft a certain player, and cut a certain player, and sign a certain player; and when they take it to King Brinker, he's sometimes going to singlehandedly shut them down. And from the conversations I've had with people who have been apart of these processes, that's simply not anything close to how it works. The bottom line is that "final say" is something we overrate on the outside looking in.
The 1st Overall Pick
And how about the most valuable element of this job, which has been somewhat buried by all the focus on ownership and having final say: the Titans have the 1st overall pick in the draft! They have the most control of any team in the league for the next 3 months! How often do you get to walk into a new GM job and you're gifted the 1st overall pick to put in your back pocket on Day 1?
Not only do you have the 1st pick, but you also have a top pick in each round. Sidenote: It's not actually the 1st pick in each round, because of the way the tiebreaker system works. The more you know!
So in your 1st draft as a newly minted GM, your picks are of very high value. It gives you control and options that most new GM situations don't offer. You can choose to pick the best players, trade for additional value, or take your shot on a QB: which leads us to the next selling point.
Controlling Your QB Destiny
How often do we hear about coaches and executives wanting their guy? It's usually some version of "well so-and-so was fine for the time they had him, but this coaching staff/front office weren't the ones who picked him. And they're ready to get their guy in the building to move forward on their terms".
The reality of the QB position in the modern NFL is that it's the position most likely to make or break you as a GM. Staffs live and die by the guy they have under center. And everybody wants to marry themselves to a decision they made.
Well, there's no better opportunity out there this year for flexibility in this department than the Titans job. The QB position is currently a blank slate. Their only passer under contract for 2025 is Will Levis, and you won't have to do any convincing on Day 1 to move on from him; they're already working on that. What you get to do as the new GM is help lead the hunt for his replacement. And with the 1st overall pick, you're in the drivers seat to have your druthers.
Are the options this cycle incredible? No. It's not the strongest QB draft class or free agency class. There's no obvious fix. But the bottom line is that you get to chart the course for this franchise's QB future. And the Titans are set up for you to be able to do so with very little compromises.
Healthy Books
Whether the new GM chooses to draft a QB or sign one, their flexibility to address that position as well as all the others is in good shape too. The Titans financial situation wasn't left in ruins by Ran Carthon, not by any means. Tennessee is top-10 in functional cap space for 2025, and they don't have any big ugly contracts that qualify as a real albatross around the neck of the front office. That's another thing you aren't afforded in every GM opportunity.
Roster Rock Bottom
These last two selling points are all about perception. The Titans aren't entirely destitute as a roster. They have a handful of foundational pieces, both young and old. But they're in dire need of help at a few critical positions (RT, EDGE, QB, etc.) and they also lack a strong base of depth.
That's an enticing thing to a new GM with offseason resources to use. This is a sandbox that they can come in and play with how they see fit. And most importantly, the bar to clear in most of these areas is set very low. Finding upgrades is easier when the perception is that anything else would be better.
Next On The Chopping Block
Finally, I'm not sold on the idea that this GM job is a scapegoat position. I don't think the new guy will be next on the chopping block at all.
For starters, It's not hard to see how Brian Callahan would likely be the next person ownership points their ire at. He has to produce in a serious way in Year 2 to stay with the team. And then the issue of Chad Brinker arises. Some see this new structure as a way for Brinker to insulate himself from scrutiny. I'm not so sure that's the case. I think it's more likely that ownership has elevated him to a position of significant power, and they will now hold him chiefly responsible for the team's success in that front office. He's the one leading the search for this new GM, and he's overseeing all team operations going forward. This is on him now.
Now perhaps that means this new GM's job security is tied to Brinker, and that if he goes, they all go. That's probably true. But what I don't see happening is this GM being scapegoated if things go poorly and Brinker get to continue on, safe as can be. It's also worth pointing out… two years ago when Ran Carthon hired Chad Brinker in the first place, would any of us have expected things to go poorly and it result in Carthon being fired and Brinker being elevated to President of Football Operations? A lot can change in a year or two in the the NFL.
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