AFC South

Some NFL front offices reportedly believe the answer to the Tennessee Titans' quarterback issues will not be solved with the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.

According to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, "a few executives... believed the Titans would be better off trading the pick."

Howe also wrote that "a couple executives" are "highly skeptical" of the quarterbacks available at the top of the upcoming draft.

Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders are the only consensus first-round signal-callers heading into the draft.

President of football operations Chad Brinker told reporters last week that the Titans "won't pass on a generational talent with the first pick in the NFL draft."

That left open the possibility the Titans could select a non-quarterback like Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter or Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter— or pass on using the pick entirely if the team doesn't believe generational talent is available.

Newly-hired general manager Mike Borgonzi said during last Wednesday's introductory press conference that he considered the Titans' draft picks as their "biggest form of currency" (h/t ESPN's Turron Davenport.)

"When there's opportunities to trade back to collect more picks, we're going to do that," Borgonzi said.

The Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants, who are currently slated to draft behind the Titans, are in need of quarterbacks and could theoretically be willing to trade up for the chance to select a player like Ward or Sanders with the top pick.

The Titans are also planning on adding a signal caller this offseason. Head coach Brian Callahan said after the 2024 season that he had already informed Will Levis he would be competing with another quarterback for the QB1 spot next season.

Should the Titans decide to trade out of the No. 1 spot in the draft, however, the team could pursue a veteran quarterback in free agency while using additional draft assets to stock up around him and Levis.

Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. reportedly could be in line for a payday that tops the one Pat Surtain II enjoyed with the Denver Broncos in September.

"Pat Surtain II's four-year, $96 million deal with the Broncos is likely Stingley's target as the Texans are expected to make his extension a top offseason priority," ESPN's Dan Graziano reported Friday.

Graziano suggested the Texans could "tear up the 2025 and 2026" years on Stingley's current deal and sign him to a new one that some around the league believe would "top Surtain's $24 million annual average and his $77.5 million in guarantees."

Surtain is 24 years old and one of the best cornerbacks in the league, so it would make sense the 23-year-old Stingley would see him as a comparison point in his own negotiations.

Derek Stingley Jr. AGAIN! The @HoustonTexans grab their FOURTH pick of the day.

📺: #LACvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/HrR1dmBDQB

— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025

Houston selected the LSU product with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft, and he has quickly lived up to expectations as one of the franchise's building blocks alongside C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins and Will Anderson Jr.

Stingley was a First-Team All-Pro selection and Pro Bowler this season with 54 tackles, 18 passes defended and five interceptions. He was consistently trusted to defend the opponent's best receiver and was up to the challenge far more often than not.

That he was so effective in just his third season suggests he could only get better, which is troubling news for AFC wide receivers.

It is also news that suggests the Texans should jump at the chance to sign him to a lengthy extension even if it costs more than the Broncos paid to keep Surtain.

The Tennessee Titans have the top pick in the 2025 NFL draft and need a long-term answer at quarterback, so it comes as no surprise they are reportedly doing their due diligence on Shedeur Sanders.

And some of that due diligence reportedly involves talking to the quarterback prospect's famous father as well.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported Friday that the Titans met with Sanders for "a longer time than usual" at the East-West Shrine Bowl last week. The meeting lasted approximately an hour and involved Hall of Famer Deion Sanders calling into it.

The elder Sanders coached his son at Colorado and certainly understands how the draft process works given his own career and time around the game.

Howe also noted "it's believed by some that" the Titans prefer Cam Ward if they are going to use that top pick on a quarterback. However, it would be wise for the front office to meet with both prospects even if that is the case to gather as much information as possible.

Any meeting involving Deion Sanders is notable since the Buffaloes head coach said there are "a couple of teams that I won't allow him to play for" when talking about his son earlier this month during an appearance on the Tamron Hall Show (h/t Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today).

Involving him in such a long meeting suggests the Titans likely aren't one of those teams.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected Tennessee to select Sanders with the top pick in a mock draft earlier this month, although the process is just getting started. Both he and Ward will have opportunities at pro days and the NFL Scouting Combine to make worthwhile impressions, and they could also be battling with non-quarterbacks such as Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter for that top pick.

But Sanders is at least on the Titans' radar at this point.

New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has made the first major hire to his staff.

The Jaguars and Anthony Campanile have agreed to terms on a deal that will make him their defensive coordinator.

Welcome to #DUUUVAL, Coach Campanile 👏 pic.twitter.com/vdY9MrXAhw

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 31, 2025

Before the San Francisco 49ers got word from Robert Saleh that he was returning to the organization as their defensive coordinator, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero noted they were "impressed" with Campanile when they interviewed him as a potential alternative candidate.

Campanile spent the 2024 season on Matt LaFleur's staff with the Green Bay Packers, serving as linebackers coach and run game coordinator.

The 42-year-old Campanile has an extensive coaching background. He began as an assistant coach at the high school level in 2006 before moving to the college ranks at Rutgers from 2012 to '15.

Steve Addazio, then-head coach at Boston College, added Campanile to his staff in 2016. He spent two seasons as defensive backs coach before adding the title of co-defensive coordinator in 2018.

Jim Harbaugh brought Campanile to Michigan for the 2019 season as linebackers coach. He has been working in the NFL since 2020 when the Miami Dolphins hired him to be their linebackers coach.

The Jaguars will mark Campanile's first stint as a solo defensive coordinator at any level. He could have a lot of freedom in his role to mold the defense as he sees fit since Coen has said he intends to call plays for the offense.

Jacksonville finished 28th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed this season. The defense has ranked in the top half of the NFL in points allowed just once since 2019.

Brian Johnson helped lead a one-year turnaround for the Washington Commanders as their passing-game coordinator and reportedly caught the eye of the Houston Texans in the process.

Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported Thursday that the Texans requested to interview Johnson for their vacant offensive coordinator position.

Houston needs a new OC after it fired Bobby Slowik following the 2024 campaign.

Things were looking up for Slowik as the O.C. in 2023 when C.J. Stroud took home the Offensive Rookie of the Year and the Texans made the playoffs. However, the offense took a step back in 2024 and finished 22nd in yards and 19th in points as Stroud was sacked 52 times and pressured on 28 percent of his dropbacks, which was highest in the league for those with more than seven starts.

The Texans still managed to win the AFC South and reach the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs, but the offense will need to be much better moving forward if they are going to realistically challenge the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens in the conference.

Perhaps Johnson will be the answer who helps them do just that.

After collegiate stops with Utah, Mississippi State, Houston and Florida, he was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022 before he was promoted to O.C. in 2023. The Eagles reached the Super Bowl during the 2022 campaign when he was working with Jalen Hurts.

Their offense was also effective when he was the O.C. last season and finished eighth in the league in points and seventh in yards.

The statistical success continued for Johnson after he joined the Commanders in his new role. They selected Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick, and he is well on his way to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Daniels led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game in their first winning season since the 2016 campaign.

Houston also has a young quarterback with a bright future in Stroud and may see this as a chance to pair him with an O.C. who has helped other signal-callers thrive in recent years.

Shedeur Sanders is the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft in the latest mock from NFL.com's Bucky Brooks.

Brooks projects the Tennessee Titans drafting Sanders with the first pick, while former Miami quarterback Cam Ward drops to No. 3 and is snagged by the New York Giants.

The Cleveland Browns are predicted to go with a non-quarterback option at No. 2 and draft former Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, while former Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter falls into the hands of the New York Giants at No. 4, per Brooks.

Sanders and Ward are the only quarterbacks selected in the first round in Brooks' mock draft.

Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker recently told TitanInsider.com's Terry McCormick that former QB1 Will Levis would "get every opportunity to compete for the starting job" in 2025 after being benched last season.

Drafting Sanders, who helped his father and head coach Deion Sanders turn Colorado around from a one-win team into a bowl game participant, could provide the Levis with that competition.

The Browns are also in need of a quarterback after Deshaun Watson underwent a second Achilles surgery that will cause him to miss at least part of the 2025 season.

Cleveland could still decide to take a swing at a lower-ranked quarterback slated to come off the board in Day 2 if they want to use the No. 2 pick to address another position.

The Giants, who parted ways with one-time franchise quarterback hopeful Daniel Jones last season, also enter the draft in need of a quarterback.

Giants leadership has spoken positively about Sanders early in the pre-draft process, but could ultimately decide to go with whichever of the two top signal callers is left if either Sanders or Ward is still available at No. 3.

The top three teams' need for quarterbacks could benefit the Patriots, who enter the draft at No. 4 but with Drake Maye under center on track to start next season. If Hunter is still available at that point, adding him on either offense or defense would be a significant boost to the Patriots' hopes of rebuilding a competitive team around Maye.

Perhaps no hiring was more dramatic during the ongoing cycle than the Jacksonville Jaguars' decision to bring Liam Coen in as head coach, and he made it clear Monday he didn't want to miss out on the opportunity ahead of him.

"The opportunity to coach in Tampa was a phenomenal one to get my feet wet in the NFL as the offensive coordinator and I thank them so much for that opportunity," Coen told reporters during his introductory press conference.

"As you continue to do more research and gain more information as you go, it started to become more clear with every hour that this was an opportunity that you just can't pass up, for so many different reasons. And you, ultimately, want to do truly what's best for you and your family, and that's what this came down to. I will always love and remember those guys in Tampa."

Coen was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past season, and it appeared as if he may stay at one point this offseason.

Nick Shook of NFL.com detailed the entire ordeal, noting the new head coach initially pulled himself out of consideration in Jacksonville and agreed to remain with Tampa Bay with a pay raise. However, the Jaguars fired general manager Trent Baalke shortly after that, and Coen ended up reengaging in discussions with the AFC South team even as the Buccaneers tried to contact him.

Coen stressed that the general manager situation did not factor into his decision-making process:

Liam Coen was set to return to the Buccaneers as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Instead, he was introduced as the Jaguars' head coach on Monday.

What changed in that time? Coen addressed the questions in his introductory news conference.

🔗https://t.co/kG8RbBHIVb pic.twitter.com/NNgdK2yx9A

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) January 28, 2025

The end result is a new head coach in Jacksonville for an organization attempting to bounce back from its 4-13 record in 2024.

Whether it will be able to do so or not largely depends on whether quarterback Trevor Lawrence can live up to expectations as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft. The 2022 Pro Bowler had 11 touchdown passes to seven interceptions and was 2-8 as a starter in 10 games in 2024, but working with Coen should help fully unleash his potential.

"How do we make @Trevorlawrencee and this offense as dynamic and explosive as we can be? We've got to build it around him...

He will be a part of that process." pic.twitter.com/0viMZ63cGz

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 27, 2025

After all, Baker Mayfield threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns this past season in Tampa Bay's offense and could be something of a blueprint for the strides Lawrence can make under Coen.

And Monday's comments made it seem as if the new head coach is fired up to work with his new quarterback.

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and linebacker Henry To'oTo'o didn't receive fines for their hits on Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

During the Texans' 23-14 loss to the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs, Anderson and To'oTo'o were both penalized for separate controversial hits on Mahomes.

Will Anderson was called for roughing the passer on Patrick Mahomes on this play.#HOUvsKC | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/bTn7Z5XoLZ

— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2025

Henry To’oTo’o was called for a penalty after this hit on Patrick Mahomes. #HOUvsKC | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/w4E4cSI3FF

— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2025

Pelissero noted that the league's decision wasn't an "admission of an officiating error," but neither play was worthy of an unnecessary roughness fine.

Both flags were costly for Houston.

Anderson's penalty occurred during an incomplete pass on third down with the Chiefs inside their own territory. After the drive was extended, Kansas City was able to pick up two more first downs before kicking a 36-yard field goal and taking a 6-3 lead.

With the Texans trailing by one point late in the third quarter, To'oTo'o's penalty came on a drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to Travis Kelce.

MAHOMES THROWS THE TD TO KELCE WHILE FALLING TO THE GROUND 😳

UNREAL 🍿#HOUvsKC | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/aEBBmgiKhB

— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2025

Neither player was pleased with the officiating after the game.

"We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game," Anderson said, per ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime.

To'oTo'o also expressed his dissatisfaction.

"It makes me mad," To'oTo'o said following the loss. "But it is what it is, honestly. Nothing much you can do."

Texans linebacker Henry To'oTo'o expresses great frustration with the officiating in protection of Patrick Mahomes.

“It makes me mad. But it is, what it is, honestly.” pic.twitter.com/eC1eO4jCZX

— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) January 19, 2025

"As soon as the quarterback leaves the pocket, he's a runner," he explained. "And he gets treated as a runner, in my opinion. So, runners slide, and get hit, and stuff like that doesn't happen."

To'oTo'o recorded seven tackles in the defeat while Anderson racked up four tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.

The Texans have finished with a 10-7 record and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, but they haven't been able to advance further.

While Anderson and To'oTo'o both picked up penalties for hitting Mahomes during Houston's playoff defeat, the contact wasn't enough to warrant a fine for either player.

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan gave his thoughts on Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, two of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft class.

Callahan met Sanders at East-West Shrine Bowl practices, revealing his first impression of the signal-caller.

"You can tell he's been raised right," Callahan said, per Jim Wyatt of the team's official website. "He's mature, he has a really poised way about him, and he seems like a really good kid. I enjoyed talking to him. And, you could tell he's a guy who has been in the spotlight. He knows how to handle himself, he's been paid money, so he has a financial perspective."

While Tennessee's head coach hasn't talked with Ward yet, he praised his 2024 season at Miami.

"He does some really cool stuff," Callahan said, via Wyatt. "He has a really loose throwing motion, and I mean that in the best way. He can spin the ball well. He has all the different arm angles. He has the ability to move and create. He's put some really impressive throws on tape."

The Titans own the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Tennessee is coming off a 3-14 season, marking the team's third straight year with a losing record.

Will Levis handled starting quarterback duties for the Titans to open the 2024 regular season, but he dealt with turnover issues and overall inconsistency. In 12 starts, Levis completed 63.1 percent of his throws for 2,091 yards and 13 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions. He also lost six fumbles.

Levis was briefly benched near the end of the year, leading to the belief that the Titans are searching for a new quarterback with the top pick in the 2025 draft.

Sanders thrived at Colorado in 2024, putting together a strong second year with the Buffaloes. His 4,134 yards through the air and 37 touchdown passes were both the most among all Big 12 quarterbacks, completing 74 percent of his throws despite also leading the conference in pass attempts (477).

"The thing that stands out the most is his toughness," Callahan said of Sanders. "He took some pretty big shots and he kept rolling. He can stand in the pocket and deliver it. He can move and create a bit, he has some ability to move out the pocket, and he does create on his own."

Ward is also coming off an exceptional season on the Hurricanes, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns while getting picked off just seven times. He finished No. 4 in 2024 Heisman Trophy voting.

"Without knowing the person at all, just from what I've seen in a limited viewing, is he's incredibly talented," Callahan said in regards to Ward. "I think you see him do some things that are very unique with his ability to throw the ball."

In the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department, the Titans were projected to select Sanders with the No. 1 overall pick.

Tennessee will need to choose between one of the two passers on draft night if it decides to select a quarterback, but Callahan already appears to be a fan of both Sanders and Ward.

After a frustrating offensive season for the Houston Texans, head coach DeMeco Ryans is making a major change to his coaching staff going into 2025.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Bobby Slowik is out as Houston's offensive coordinator after two seasons. Offensive line coach Chris Strausser will also not be retained.

The Texans seemed poised to join the ranks of the AFC elites this season after a terrific 2023 campaign. C.J. Stroud had a historic rookie season with 4,108 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 starts.

However, the offense took a significant step back in 2024. Stroud was sacked 52 times and pressured on 28 percent of his dropbacks, the highest rate in the NFL for any quarterback who made at least 10 starts.

They finished in the bottom 11 in expected points added per dropback, expected points added per carry, passing success rate and rushing success rate.

The Houston Texans finished 24th in EPA/carry (-.09), 31st in rushing success rank (34.1%), 22nd in EPA/drop back (-.08) and 25th in passing success rate (41.2%)

It was a Bottom 10 offense.

Hope they have the courage for major staff shakeups, it's desperately needed #HTownMade

— John Crumpler (@JohnCrumplerMD) January 19, 2025

This was probably the right move. There was So. Much. Time. for the offense to improve in Houston this year independent of the injuries. Kept running the same concepts/protections into the same issues. Feels like the staff did not have solutions.

Texans OC job: pretty great gig! https://t.co/TZ55T6V24Y

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) January 24, 2025

The Texans' divisional-round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs was emblematic of some of the problems they had this season. Stroud was sacked eight times, with three coming on plays where the Chiefs player who got to him was initially blocked by tight end Dalton Schultz.

Some of the struggles can be attributed to injuries and poor performances. Star wide receiver Nico Collins missed five games in the middle of the season with a hamstring injury. Stefon Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8. Tank Dell suffered a major knee injury in a Christmas Day loss to Kansas City.

Laremy Tunsil, who had been regarded as one of the best left tackles in the NFL coming into this season, was the second-most penalized offensive lineman in 2024.

There was not just one individual problem with the Texans' offense this season, but the compounding issues over time made it hard to imagine a scenario in which Slowik returned.

The Texans will now get to work finding a new offensive coordinator for what should be an attractive position with Stroud entering his third season.