NFL may have just sealed Brian Callahan's fate with brutal early Titans slate

The Tennessee Titans may have brought in a new franchise quarterback in No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, but it doesn't seem like the league has much of an interest in promoting that to the viewing public. Ward will get a gauntlet early in the season, which is not ideal for head coach Brian Callahan.

Not only do Titans fans have to sit through an entire season without any primetime games, but their first stretch of five games features three games against 2024 playoff teams (two of which will send Ward on the road early in his career) in addition to two matchups with divisional rivals.

The Titans will open the season on the road against the Denver Broncos before a pair of home games against the Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts. Following those games, Tennessee will face a hated division rival in the Houston Texans before traveling on the road to play against an improving Arizona Cardinals team.

All signs, barring Ward proving to be a genuine star early in his career, point to the Titans struggling early in this season. If this happens, Callahan's already toasty hot seat might get ramped up to positively smouldering levels.

Titans could fire Brian Callahan if team starts out poorly in 2025 NFL season

Callahan went 3-14 in his first season in charge of the Titans during his debut season, and a slow start could push him closer to a 4-20 record if the Titans struggle out of the gate. Ken Whisenhunt was fired after a 3-20 start to his Tennessee career, which could set a precedent for a very early firing.

A Titans team that fired Ran Carthon just one year after an extension and hired a GM in Mike Borgonzi, who has no loyalty to Callahan, has shown they are by no means afraid of getting rid of an underperforming leader. Tennessee starting poorly offensively, which is Callahan's specialty, could be enough to drive the final nail in his coffin.

Callahan's success in 2025 will be determined by how much of last year's poor performance was due to Will Levis-led quarterback instability and how much was down to poor game-planning. If Callahan is unable to turn Ward into a winner early in his career, expect him to be booted out of town as Tennessee tries to reboot things with yet another coach trying to get this team on track.