The Tennessee Titans have made a big organizational change, parting ways with their general manager, Ran Carthon. Carthon spent two seasons as the Titans general manager, and the team struggled in that time. This season, Tennessee finished with a disappointing 3-14 record. The team spent significant money on large contracts this offseason and it did not translate to wins on the field. The Titans have the #1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but that pick will be made by a new general manager. The Tennessee Titans had stated that their President of Football Operations, Chad Brinker will head the search for a new general manager.
The Tennessee Titans Large Contracts
This offseason, the Tennessee Titans made a couple big moves in free agency. On offense, they added Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, and Lloyd Cushenberry. They also added L’Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie, and Sebastian Joseph-Day on defense. Pollard and Ridley were some of their most impactful players on offense. Pollard rushed for 1,079 yards and five touchdowns, which is similar production to what Pollard did with the Dallas Cowboys. Calvin Ridley also saw little change in his production compared to his time in Jacksonville. He had 1,017 yards and four touchdowns. But the Tennessee Titans signed them both to large, multi-year contracts that may be worth more than solid production.
The Titans also gave out big contracts to their defensive signings. They gave L’Jarius Sneed a four-year contract extension and signed Chidobe Awuzie for three years. Both these players ended up dealing with injuries this season, leaving them sidelined. Sneed played in only five games after the Tennessee Titans acquired him from Kansas City. Awuzie played in just eight games. Sebastian Jospeh-Day played in all 17 games, and was a solid addition to the defense, but, again, the Tennessee Titans spent big money on these players.
Out of all of these signings, the youngest players are L’Jarius Sneed, Lloyd Cushenberry, and Tony Pollard at 27. Awuzie and Joseph-Day are 29 and Calvin Ridley is 30. So, essentially, under Ran Carthon, the Tennessee Titans gave out large contract spanning multiple years to veteran players. This is not always bad practice, but in the Titans’ case, it has not panned out. The Tennessee Titans finished 26th in offensive yards per game. Their defense was one of the better units in the league, even with injuries to Sneed and Awuzie. But they still finished 3-14 after spending significant money to improve their team. That was likely the biggest reason for Carthon’s departure.
The Tennessee Titans Dysfunctional Organization
While the Tennessee Titans fired Ran Carthon, they are keeping their head coach, Brian Callahan. It continues the odd cycle that the Titans organization has gone through with head coaches and general managers. Just last season, the Titans fired their head coach, Mike Vrabel, and hired Callahan because Vrabel and Carthon did not see eye-to-eye. Now, the Tennessee Titans have chosen to let go of Carthon but keep Callahan. Before Carthon and Vrabel, there were even more situations like this. The practice of firing a coach or general manager and keeping the other has resulted in disfunction for the organization.
Some fans believe that Ran Carthon was not at fault. He went out and spent money on players that the team could not win with. Many fans think Brian Callahan should be gone instead of Carthon for failing to win with the talent that Carthon paid for. Regardless, the Tennessee Titans decided that Carthon is out, and Callahan is staying. The next general manager they hire should be one that sees eye-to-eye with their coach, or more disfunction will continue. With a new general manager and the #1 pick in the draft, this offseason will be an important one.
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