Titans OLB throws shade at Mike Vrabel's coaching culture, draws differences with Brian Callahan-led team
The Tennessee Titans made a monumental change earlier this year, ditching six-season head coach Mike Vrabel for Brian Callahan. Since then, they have undergone a drastic formation.
It can be best seen in the offense, which has lost dominant running back (and key Vrabel-era contributor) Derrick Henry to the Baltimore Ravens but gained wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd - a testament to former quarterback Callahan's potential pass-first approach.
But another aspect, at least according to linebacker Harold Landry, has been more flexibility in game-planning. He said during practice on Monday, per Titan Insider:
"I feel like now when guys show up here now, that they feel like they can be confident and be themselves and they can operate how they know they best operate to perform as good as they can on Sundays, because everybody is different. I feel like guys are happy that they can come into the building and kind of trust the work that they’ve been putting in.”
He continued by comparing Brian Callahan's new style to the old regime:
“The old way was everybody was kind of locked into one way of doing things. But now the box has been opened. There’s so many more people involved in the preparation process. Like for guys who have done it for awhile, there’s a trust between us and the coaching staff that everybody has different ways to prepare for the game.”
Mike Vrabel spent six seasons as Titans head coach. He went 54-45 and led them to the playoffs for three straight seasons from 2019 to 2021. However, they suffered back-to-back losing seasons in 2022 and 2023, which led to his firing.
Landry, a second-round pick by the Titans in 2018, is entering his seventh season with the team. He played in all 17 games last season after returning from a torn ACL that saw him miss the entire 2022 campaign. He led the team with 21 QB hits and 14 tackles for loss and was second with 10.5 sacks.
New Titans head coach Brian Callahan a fan of Bears QB Caleb Williams
This new era of Titans football begins on Sunday when the team visits the Chicago Bears in what is widely anticipated to be Caleb Williams' pro debut. And already, Brian Callahan is liking what he sees in the first overall pick. He said:
"He’s everything a number one pick you would expect to be... I’ve watched him over the years. Really dynamic player. It’s really fun as a fan of quarterbacks to watch him play," Callahan said of Williams, per The Tennesseean.
That does not mean he plans to be awestruck at Williams and his monstrous receiving corps (Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and tight ends Gerald Everett and Cole Kmet), however.
Brian Callahan also boasts the AFC South's deepest secondary - cornerbacks L'Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie and safeties Amani Hooker, Jamal Adams, and Quandre Diggs.
He said of the corps:
“I’ve seen them play. I’ve seen L’Jarius play really, really good football. He looks great now. I know what Chido’s capable of. So I know what the pieces are capable of, and then there’s going to come a part of playing together that we’re going to have to grow as we go."
Brian Callahan's Titans will take on Caleb Williams' Bears on Sunday at 12 PM CT on Fox.