The Titans moved quickly after narrowing their list of general manager candidates to a group of finalists. With second interviews complete, a decision appears to have been made.
Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi is set to take over the Titans’ front office, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. While ESPN’s Adam Schefter cautions a deal is not yet done, this news points toward Tennessee’s GM vacancy being filled with plenty of time left in the offseason.
Six candidates took part in second interviews over the past few days. Borgonzi was among them, which came as little surprise given his experience and how close he came to landing a GM gig last year with the Commanders. After 16 seasons in Kansas City – including the past four in his role as assistant general manager – Borgonzi will depart the two-time defending champions to oversee the Titans’ rebuild.
Tennessee moved on from Jon Robinson late in the 2022 campaign, ending his seven-year run span at the helm of the franchise. Ran Carthon was brought in as his replacement, and the decision by owner Amy Adams Strunk dismiss head coach Mike Vrabel after the 2023 season seemed to set Carthon up for a long runway in his position. The Titans bottomed out this year, though, and while Brian Callahan was retained after one year as head coach, Carthon was let go.
Borgonzi was one of the top candidates in this year’s GM hiring cycle, interviewing as well for the Jets’ position. New York’s search continues, but one name has now been removed from the list of remaining options. Without a head coaching hire to make (which is still the case for both the Jets and Raiders), meanwhile, the Titans can move forward with a new power structure once the Borgonzi hire becomes official.
Kansas City and Tennessee have been connected on the trade front recently, with the swaps which saw cornerback L’Jarius Sneed head to Tennessee in the offseason and which sent wideout DeAndre Hopkins to Kansas City ahead of the deadline this year representing recent examples. Borgonzi will aim to make immediate progress with respect to roster-building in his first GM opportunity, something which will include the No. 1 pick in April’s draft.
Chad Brinker joined the Titans’ staff along with Carthon, and he was promoted to president of football operations last year. He ran Tennessee’s GM search, and his connections to Borgonzi made this development one to watch for. Given the team’s announcement…