NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Something had to change for the winless Tennessee Titans heading into Week 4.
After being outscored 94-51, coach Brian Callahan turned playcalling duties over to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree, a move that he feels will allow him to have a greater impact on all three phases of the game.
"I've spent most of my time in special teams, in the defensive meetings and making sure I got a good pulse of what's happening there," Callahan said Wednesday. "I'm having more conversations with players, understanding some of the things that they think and feel. I've actually enjoyed stepping back and looking at some other things that maybe I didn't have the time and energy to put into it because of other responsibilities. It's been productive."
Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said Callahan was in their meetings starting Tuesday and added that Callahan has given him some ideas as to how opposing offenses may attack them.
"He's a hell of a coach," Wilson said of Callahan. "He has a lot of great ideas, and he can be an extra voice and an extra set of eyes from an offensive perspective moving forward. So I think it's going to be a hell of a thing. I just love being around him, talking football."
Giving up playcalling would seem like a tough thing to do for Callahan. When he was the offensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2019 to 2023, he didn't call plays, and after doing so in Tennessee for his second season now, Callahan admitted that there's nothing he loves more than building an offensive game plan and calling plays. But he made the tough decision for what he believes will allow him to be more present in the day-to-day operations.
According to Callahan, constructing the offensive game plan from week to week will continue to be a collaborative process, relying on everyone to do their part. In addition to calling the plays, Hardegree is still in charge of the third-down game plan. Nick Holz remains the offensive coordinator and oversees the base downs for the offense. Wide receiver coach Tyke Tolbert and senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy are in charge of the red zone package. Running backs coach Randy Jordan oversees the screen game.
Hardegree has prior experience with being thrust into a playcaller role with a rookie quarterback in the middle of the season. That's part of the reason why Callahan gave him the keys to the offense. Hardegree was named the Las Vegas Raiders' interim offensive coordinator after the team fired Josh McDaniels after a 3-5 start in 2023.
Las Vegas' offense under McDaniels averaged just under 14 points, but under Hardegree, that average jumped to 22 points -- including a 63-point outburst in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell threw for 1,905 yards and 11 touchdowns, leading the Raiders to a 5-4 record to close out the season.
"That was a great experience for me," Hardegree said. "Being able to take over an offense, work with a rookie quarterback, I'll draw from those experiences."
One thing the Titans staff hasn't ironed out is where Hardegree will be on game day. While serving as the quarterbacks coach, Hardegree was on the sideline ready to go over what happened with quarterback Cam Ward.
Holz was always upstairs looking down at the game from the coach's booth. This decision is important because Ward has a close relationship with Hardegree and values his input, especially on game day.
The two are together every day, working on various things from mechanics to studying defenses and more. Hardegree says they'll exchange text messages at night also.
"I really just try to earn his trust to where I coach him hard," Hardegree said, "and he has that trust in me, so we keep building him."
Added Ward, "He understands where my head is at, just what I see on the field."
Callahan said they're going through the logistics and taking the process day by day when it comes to figuring out where the coaches will be on Sundays. Not encroaching upon Ward's development is critical. The organization is hoping Ward can become the franchise quarterback they've longed for since the days when Steve McNair led the Titans to a Super Bowl appearance in 2000.
Whether Hardegree is on the field or in the booth won't make much of a difference, according to Ward.
"I'm going to talk to him on the headset after every drive," Ward said. "So I really won't change my operation, but I think it's going to be what's best for him and for us to help us score some points."
Ward's first game with Hardegree calling the plays will come about an hour away from where he grew up against the Houston Texans on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) at NRG Stadium.
According to Ward, nostalgia and distractions won't knock him off his game, stating that he's "locked in on playing football and going to do his job."