In a swift turn for Tennessee Titans football, Chad Brinker is stepping down as the team’s president of football operations to pursue other opportunities, the Titans announced on Tuesday evening ET. Brinker, who joined the organization in 2023 and moved into the top football operations role in 2024, said the decision reflects a desire to return to what he loves. The move leaves Tennessee Titans football facing another front-office reset less than a week after the 2026 NFL Draft.
Brinker exits after a rapid rise in Tennessee Titans football
Brinker’s path inside Tennessee Titans football was quick and central to the organization’s recent restructuring. He arrived in 2023 as assistant general manager, then was promoted the next year to president of football operations, reporting directly to owner Amy Adams Strunk during that first year in the role.
During his time in the building, Brinker helped oversee major football decisions and played a key part in the team’s personnel direction. He led the search and hiring process that brought in general manager Mike Borgonzi in January 2025, and he also helped reshape the club’s analytics department while contributing to offseason strategy in free agency and the draft.
What Brinker and Strunk said
Brinker addressed the move released through the team, saying it had been “an honor” to serve as president of football operations. He said he had “a renewed conviction that it is time to return to what I love and move towards my next chapter, ” and added that he was grateful for Strunk’s understanding and for the chance to pursue other opportunities.
He also pointed to the work done over the past three years, saying the organization had started the process of getting Tennessee Titans football back on track under challenging circumstances. Brinker said he believed the team had “exceptional people” and long-term stability at general manager and throughout the scouting department.
Strunk responded of her own, saying it was difficult to lose Brinker because of his knowledge of the game and his ability to connect strategy to execution. She said she understood his decision and wished him, Rachelle, and their family the best as they prepare for what is next.
Front office and coaching picture now shifts again
The change lands at a moment of continued movement around the franchise. After general manager Ran Carthon was fired in 2024, Brinker effectively took on a larger role while the team brought in Borgonzi, who initially reported to him before later changes in the reporting structure. In January, the organization reworked that setup so Borgonzi and Brinker both reported to Strunk.
Tennessee Titans football also enters the new season with Robert Saleh set to begin as the team’s third full-time head coach in four seasons. Borgonzi is now the franchise’s fifth general manager since 2015, not including Brinker, underscoring how frequently the structure has changed.
What happens next
For now, the team has not said whether another executive will replace Brinker in the president of football operations role. What is clear is that Tennessee Titans football is once again reorganizing its leadership as it moves deeper into the offseason, with another major decision in the front office now likely to shape the next phase of the roster-building process.
