When the Tennessee Titans make their decision on the No. 1 overall draft pick tonight, it will represent a true changing of the guard. Coach Brian Callahan looks forward to the opportunity to prove doubters wrong with new quarterback Cam Ward soon to be in the building.
"I think the old adage is that pressure is a bit of privilege," said Callahan on Tuesday.
Titans committing to Cam Ward should also be a commitment to Brian Callahan
A 3-14 finish as the worst team in football last season would add tension to any situation.
Heading into his second year on the job, Callahan disputes that selecting a passer No. 1 overall heightens the stakes at all. While the Titans coach does come into 2025 on the proverbial hot seat, there is reason to believe he and his staff are still capable of improving Tennessee's fortunes in a meaningful way.
2023 second-round pick Will Levis' implosion as a starter was not something anyone could have anticipated. Callahan and Co. did as much as they could to work around a passer that simply could not be trusted on the field.
Drafting Ward represents a clean slate.
"You get a chance to work with a great player when you pick him at the top of the draft. If it so happens to be a quarterback, that doesn't change anything for me, how I go about my job, what I do on a day-to-day basis, what I believe about the development of the position. None of that changes. It's exciting.
"It's what you hope for. I mean, it's what you want as a coach is you want those types of players on your roster. You want to coach them, you want to be a part of that journey. I've been fortunate to be part of a few of them. It's exciting and so there's nothing added to what already is the job. That's just part of it and I'm fully aware of the expectation that comes along with that and I embrace it. I'm excited for that to happen."
There is no worse case scenario for the Titans than drafting Ward, getting him ingratiated into Callahan's system, then pulling the rug out from under both parties by firing the coach at year's end.
A commitment to Ward should mean a commitment to stability. Having a quick trigger on a coach in his first year with a No. 1 overall draft choice would only further the narrative that Tennessee does not have the foresight they claim to. Moving on from Callahan would make it four consecutive years that the club has fired either a general manager or a coach.
