Three hottest seats on the Tennessee Titans
New Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon has begun reworking the roster following a 7-10 season in 2022. While it may not be necessary to undertake a full rebuild, another disappointing season could lead to one.
As Carthon continues to construct the roster through his vision, here are three Titans on the hottest seats in 2023:
1. The quarterbacks
With the current state of the position, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Tennessee has already begun circling various QB options for 2024. Ryan Tannehill was underwhelming in the 12 games he played last season. His 49.2 QBR was the lowest he has posted in a Tennessee uniform and the team went 6-6 in games he started.
The 34-year-old Tannehill will be a free agent next offseason. Though it is not impossible he could receive the axe this spring, his $18.8 million dead cap hit and Tennessee’s questionable depth make it unlikely.
Tennessee selected Malik Willis from Liberty in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft in hopes that he would develop into a long-term starter, but he seems far from a roster cornerstone at this early juncture. Willis played in eight games last season, completing 50.8% of his 61 pass attempts while posting a lopsided 0/3 TD/INT ratio.
2. Head coach Mike Vrabel
While Vrabel has established himself as one of the best coaches in the NFL, it doesn’t ensure him a lifetime contract. In 2021, Vrabel was named Coach of the Year after leading Tennessee to the AFC’s No. 1 seed. However, the Titans lost in the divisional round, bringing Vrabel’s playoff coaching record to 2-3.
Last season was even worse for the Titans, who started 7-3 before losing their last seven games and missing the playoffs. Tennessee fired OC Todd Downing after the offense struggled, averaging 296.8 yards per game (30th in the NFL) and 17.5 points per game (28th overall).
Rather than hire an outside candidate to fix the offense, Vrabel promoted passing game coordinator Tim Kelly to OC. The outcome of that decision could affect the HC’s job stability.
3. Cornerback Caleb Farley
Tennessee allowed the fifth-most passing yards in 2020, so it hoped to improve its secondary by drafting Farley. Since he became a Titan, Tennessee has allowed the second-most passing yards in the league.
The 2021 first-round pick has struggled with injuries throughout his short career and hasn’t made an impact when he has played. In 12 career games, Farley has posted 14 tackles with one pass defended. He has no interceptions in the NFL.
Farley suffered a torn ACL as a rookie while a herniated disc ended his second season after nine games. There was a known issue with his back dating to before Tennessee drafted him, and it appears the problem isn’t going away.
Tennessee must decide whether to exercise Farley’s fifth-year option next offseason, but his health may prevent him from reaching the fourth season of his contract. Farley will be playing for his career in 2023.
