The Tennessee Titans met with Jason Garrett in person last Friday. The former Dallas Cowboys coach and current broadcaster is the sixth candidate who interviewed for the team. Now, two days after the meeting, he explained what drew him to the Titans in the first place.

“I think there’s a lot to like there.” Jason Garrett said on the NFL on NBC’s recent episode. “Cam Ward, their young quarterback, I think he has everything you want. Jeffrey Simmons is, arguably, the best defensive player, in my opinion, in the NFL.”

“A lot of young talent on both sides of the ball.” He added, “A lot of salary cap space, so it feels like a clean canvas. Mike Borgonzi, the GM—I think he’s fantastic. A really good football guy.”

The public praise for Ward is not just some hype; the numbers very much back Garrett’s stance on the young QB.

Cam Ward closed his first full NFL season with 3,169 passing yards, 15 touchdown throws, and just seven picks across 17 starts.

Jeffrey Simmons, on the other hand, has also been crucial to the defense, stacking 39 solo tackles, 28 assists, and 11 sacks in 15 games.

Garrett also spoke highly of GM Mike Borgonzi.

Borgonzi has the final say on the team’s 53-man roster. He is also leading the search for a new head coach, as team owner Amy Adams Strunk shared in a letter to fans last Friday.

It’s important to note that the Titans’ head coach position is expected to attract strong interest because the team has a high draft pick this year and more than $100 million available for free-agent signings.

As for Garrett, his resume says he could be a great addition to the Titans.

The 59-year-old has an 85-67 record to his name spanning over 10 seasons with the Cowboys. For the record, he’s 2-3 in the playoffs. He left Dallas after the 2019 season and joined the New York Giants as their offensive coordinator for two seasons (2020 & 2021). Since 2022, he has been serving as a broadcaster for NBC Sports.

While Garrett has made his thoughts known on joining the Titans, the team is still keeping tabs on two other prominent names.

The Titans are keeping their search active for potential head coaches

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the front office in Music City has already lined up interviews with two former head coaches, Mike McDaniel and Kevin Stefanski. That alone tells Titans fans at Nissan Stadium that this search is serious.

Then again, McDaniel’s name comes with recent context. The Dolphins moved on from him earlier this week, closing the book on a four-year run in South Beach.

He finished with a 35-33 record and guided Miami to the playoffs twice. More importantly, Pelissero reported that teams around the league have “significant interest” in him during this hiring cycle.

Meanwhile, Stefanski’s situation unfolded even more quickly. The Browns cut ties with him less than 24 hours after their Week 18 win over the Bengals.

That move shocked plenty of people around the league. After all, he is a two-time Coach of the Year. And because of that résumé, many expect him to land a high-profile job sooner rather than later, possibly sooner than most expect.

Still, the Titans are not limiting themselves. Even though McDaniel and Stefanski sit at the top of the board, the front office has also requested interviews with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula.

In other words, Music City is casting a wide net, mixing proven head coaches with rising defensive minds. At the end of the day, everything circles back to Cam Ward. The Titans need a coach who can unlock his ceiling and stabilize this franchise. Now the only real question is simple. Which direction will Titans Nation see next?