January 23, 2024   3 MIN READ

Outsiders and Insiders

Coach/GM Tracker: Titans Hire Callahan; Panthers Promote From Within at GM; Raiders Bring In Telesco

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The Tennessee Titans have made the first outside head coaching hire of the 2024 offseason.

According to NFL Network, Tennessee is expected to hire Brian Callahan as their new head coach.

Brian Callahan

GETTY IMAGES: The Tennessee Titans have hired Bengals OC Brian Callahan as head coach.

In five seasons as the Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator, the 39-year-old was a primary architect, along with Head Coach Zac Taylor, behind an elite offense that made two AFC Championship games and one Super Bowl appearance. 

Even in the absence of Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow for much of the 2023 season, the Bengals’ offense still put up a respectable 21.5 points per game, in the top half of the NFL.

Callahan was also the quarterbacks coach for Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions from 2016-17 as well as Derek Carr with the Raiders in 2018.

It will be big shoes to fill for Callahan, who replaces Mike Vrabel after three playoff appearances in six seasons. 

While this is his first job at head coach, Callahan has been surrounded by NFL coaching his entire life as the son of the well-renowned Bill Callahan. The elder Callahan was an offensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1995-97. As head coach of the Oakland Raiders, he took them to their most recent Super Bowl appearance in 2002. He currently coaches an elite Browns o-line. 

Internal Promotion

The Carolina Panthers will stay in-house for their next general manager.

NFL Network reported that assistant GM Dan Morgan will be the new general manager.

Morgan had a Pro Bowl caliber seven-year playing career as a linebacker for the Panthers from 2001-07. After years in the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills front offices, he joined Carolina as assistant GM in 2021.

Now comes the hard part: convincing an outsider to become the team’s seventh head coach in five years (Since 2019, the team has had three full-time head coaches and three interim).

Next Commander

The Washington Commanders are beginning to interview candidates in-person for their vacant head coaching position.

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is up first, per NFL Network.

Slowik, coming directly from the Kyle Shanahan tree, helped the Houston offense exceed all expectations in his first season as a coordinator. With rookie C.J. Stroud behind center, the team won the AFC South and made the divisional round of the playoffs.

However, the 36-year-old Slowik is not necessarily the team’s top choice, but the first one they can directly interview. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been linked to Washington as their top choice but is unable to meet in-person until after the NFC Championship concludes.

Tom Telesco

The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly hiring former rival general manager Tom Telesco as their new GM. 

Telesco spent a decade running the Chargers from 2013-2023, building three playoff teams during that span.

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

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