New Titans General Manager Takes Over
The Tennessee Titans are now on their third general manager in nine years, and this is their second GM since January 2023. Chad Brinker, the president of football operations, has a clear belief that the new hire will succeed.
“Mike Borgonzi,” Brinker said on Wednesday, as the team introduced Borgonzi as their 15th general manager in franchise history.
Rebuilding the Titans
Borgonzi is stepping in at a time when the Titans have struggled, posting a 16-35 record over the past three seasons. He has the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft and $50 million in salary cap space to help turn the franchise around. Borgonzi’s experience comes from his 16 years with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he became the assistant general manager.
During his time with the Chiefs, the team posted 12 straight winning seasons, and now they are aiming for their fifth Super Bowl appearance in six years, as well as a third consecutive Super Bowl title.
Already, Borgonzi is receiving calls about the No. 1 pick.
“I think I got some feelers, yeah,” Borgonzi said with a laugh. “Some congratulatory, but yeah, ‘Keep in touch.’”
Borgonzi’s Hiring Process
The Titans hired Borgonzi on January 17, just 10 days after owner Amy Adams Strunk fired general manager Ran Carthon following a 9-25 record in his two seasons with the team. Brinker led the search, interviewing 10 candidates virtually before bringing six in for in-person meetings over a three-day period.
Key Connections for Borgonzi
A key factor in Borgonzi’s hiring was his connection with John Dorsey, who played an important role in both Brinker’s and Borgonzi’s careers. Brinker started his NFL journey with Green Bay, where Dorsey worked for 21 years. Borgonzi was already with the Chiefs when Dorsey became their general manager in 2013.
Both Dorsey and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid began their careers with the Packers, which is why Borgonzi shares a similar approach to scouting players, including grading them the same way.
“Now, he’s modernized some of it a little bit and I kind of like some of the tweaks that he’s made within it,” Brinker said. “When he kind of went through the interview process and presented, I was like, ‘Wow, there’s some pretty cool ideas that he’s kind of added to it.’ But we’re completely aligned when it comes to the philosophy in the system.”
Filling Key Roster Needs
Borgonzi’s main task now is to address the “major holes” on the Titans’ roster that contributed to a 3-14 season under coach Brian Callahan. The Titans’ top priority is finding a quarterback for 2025, as Will Levis is the only quarterback under contract for that season. Borgonzi also needs to improve the right side of the offensive line, strengthen the defensive line and outside pass rush, and add more speed to the team overall.
The Importance of the No. 1 Pick
How Borgonzi and the Titans use the No. 1 pick will play a huge role in the speed of the team’s rebuild. One option would be to trade down to gain more draft picks, especially since the Titans only have eight picks in the upcoming draft and none in the third round after the trade that brought cornerback L’Jarius Sneed from Kansas City.
The team also swapped seventh-round picks with the Chiefs, which may result in a much later selection than the Titans originally would have had.
Preparing for the Draft
Borgonzi’s work will start with the East-West Shrine Bowl on Saturday, followed by the Senior Bowl on February 1. Brinker and Callahan have emphasized a “draft and develop” strategy for the team’s future, aiming to sign players to new deals and build a strong roster for the long term. Brinker mentioned that he would love to have 30 picks over the next three drafts, including 12 picks in the top 100.
Considering All Options
The Titans have a history of trading the No. 1 pick, as they did in 2016 when they sent it to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for multiple picks.
That trade helped bring key players like right tackle Jack Conklin, running back Derrick Henry, and safety Kevin Byard to Tennessee, which contributed to the team’s success, including six straight winning seasons and a trip to the AFC Championship game in 2019.
“You can’t pass up on a generational talent,” Brinker said. “We won’t do that. But we also got to look at all the options available to us there as well, because we want to build this team for the long term.”
