Tennessee Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker announced his departure Tuesday, stepping away from the organization after three seasons marked by sustained on-field struggles that raised questions about leadership stability and strategic direction within the franchise.
Brinker, who joined the Titans in 2023 and was promoted to president of football operations in 2024, departs an organization that has compiled a 12-39 record during his tenure, including back-to-back 3-14 seasons. His exit comes as the franchise attempts to rebuild under newly hired head coach Robert Saleh, whose arrival in January prompted a restructuring of the team's front office hierarchy.
The Leadership Shuffle
In January 2026, the Titans streamlined the roles for Brinker and general manager Mike Borgonzi as the team prepared to hire Robert Saleh as head coach. Borgonzi led the search that culminated in hiring Saleh. At that time, controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk outlined a new division of responsibilities, stating that Borgonzi would serve as general manager "in the most traditional sense — pick and support the players, oversee the coaching staff — while Chad will continue to lead everything else about the football team."
In his departure statement, Brinker acknowledged the shift in his role: "It has been an honor to serve as president of football operations of the Tennessee Titans. Over the years, I've understood and embraced my role as the leader of the football strategy, but as I've spent less time in personnel, I have a renewed conviction that it is time to return to what I love and move towards my next chapter."
Organizational Response
Strunk thanked Brinker for his contributions to the franchise in a statement, describing him as "an exceptional talent with deep knowledge of the game and the ability to connect big-picture strategy to execution." She added, "While it is difficult to lose him, I understand his decision and will do whatever I can to support him."
With Borgonzi now leading the Titans' draft operations following Brinker's departure, the franchise has moved forward with its rebuild. In last week's NFL draft, Tennessee selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 overall pick, marking one of the first major personnel decisions under the restructured front office.
Why This Matters:
Brinker's exit underscores the instability that can result from unclear organizational hierarchies and sustained poor performance in professional sports management. The Titans' 12-39 record during his tenure reflects broader questions about how front office structures should be designed to balance strategic oversight with personnel expertise. The January restructuring that reduced Brinker's role in personnel decisions—the core function he described as his passion—appears to have accelerated his departure, raising concerns about whether the franchise's new power-sharing arrangement can provide the unified leadership necessary for sustained competitive success. For Titans fans and stakeholders, leadership transitions of this magnitude during a coaching search create additional uncertainty about the team's direction and the stability of decision-making as the organization attempts to rebuild.