The NFL's coaching search took a dramatic turn Monday when the Tennessee Titans and coach Mike Mularkey parted ways.
Why has that caused a twist in things?
All indications over the weekend pointed to New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels being the front-runner to be the next coach of the Indianapolis Colts. But now the Colts might have competition from the Titans for his services.
Where McDaniels lands for his next head-coaching job won't be resolved until the Patriots are done in the playoffs, which might not be until after the Super Bowl on Feb. 4 if they beat Jacksonville in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
Colts reporter Mike Wells and Titans reporter Cameron Wolfe break down the pros and cons of the head-coaching job for the teams they cover.
COLTS
Why it's a good job: Andrew Luck makes the Colts a premier landing spot for any head-coaching candidate. Some candidates might be leery about the quarterback's health because he hasn't played in a game since Week 17 of the 2016 season and he participated in just a handful of practices after having right-shoulder surgery in January 2017. But Luck continues to make substantial steps in his rehabilitation that has people in the organization believing he'll make a full recovery and be ready for the 2018 season, according to a source on Monday. "Andrew just makes [the job] that much more special and enticing because he's coming back," owner Jim Irsay said earlier this month. "People are going to be excited about coming here and having a chance to get this job. I want to tell you one thing right now: You guys don't know the fire that's burning in No. 12's eyes. You guys don't know what type of fever he has for success right now. I mean, it's a 107-degree fever towards success right now and the intensity he has. I'm not going to B.S. someone. I'm not going to B.S. my fans. I'm not going to B.S. you. ... I am telling you that I have no doubt in my mind that Andrew is going to come back."
The Colts will have nearly $85 million in salary-cap space, projected to be the third-most in the NFL, to spend on free agents to add to what is a young but promising roster for general manager Chris Ballard. And Irsay, despite some quirky tendencies, is steadfast on winning. He'll do whatever is necessary to put his franchise in the best position to win. That definitely holds true now because the Colts are in their longest playoff drought -- three straight years -- since missing the postseason from 1988 to '94. Ballard and McDaniels will have Irsay's ear on making the necessary moves to get better.
Challenges facing new coach: While Luck is headed in the right direction health-wise, it's understandable if McDaniels or any other candidate has skepticism about the job because of the uncertainty if the quarterback will suffer any setbacks at any point during the offseason. Luck was on his way to playing last season until he kept experiencing soreness in his right shoulder, which led to his eventually being placed on injured reserve, while practicing with the team. The offensive line also continues to be a major liability. That's part of the reason why Luck has been dealing with injuries over the past three seasons. The unit gave up 56 sacks and 113 quarterback hits this season. And even with a healthy Luck, it might be difficult for the Colts -- depending on their offseason moves -- to go from being in the bottom half of the AFC South to overtaking the Jaguars, who are playing in the AFC Championship Game, in the division. The Titans are in a better position with their roster than the Colts.
TITANS
Why it's a good job: The Titans are a playoff team that advanced into the divisional round of the playoffs despite a scheme that left some untapped potential. It's a strong locker room of team-first players and a good mix of veterans and young players. The ceiling is a championship, and it shouldn't take much time to get there. There's a young, talented quarterback in Marcus Mariota, who has a unique dual-threat ability to drive defenses crazy. He could reach the next level with some help from strong, QB-savvy coach or coordinator. There is a collection of young talent in key areas such as offensive line (Taylor Lewan, Jack Conklin), running back (Derrick Henry), receiver (Corey Davis, Taywan Taylor) and defensive back (Kevin Byard, Adoree' Jackson). An aggressive general manager Jon Robinson with plenty of expected cap space provides a great opportunity to add an infusion of talent to fit the new scheme.
Challenges facing new coach: Extremely high expectations because the championship window is open and the last coach got this team a playoff win for the first time since the 2003 season. The locker room was in heavy support of Mularkey and the culture he built in Tennessee. The new coach will have a big task selling his program to this group. Everything is tied to the quarterback position, so the new coach will need to believe Mariota's Year 3 struggles, including poor footwork, lack of feel in the pocket and erratic accuracy, can be fixed. The new man in charge will be the Titans' fifth head coach this decade, so there has to be some worry about how much rope there will be. It couldn't have been encouraging for a candidate to see Mularkey's job security jostled around from potentially fired to safe to fired over the past few weeks. As far as the roster, there are some holes such as an aging front seven, struggling interior offensive line play and a lack of overall speed on offense.