Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco shares glowing praise for Robert Saleh, the Titans' new head coach, detailing Saleh's intense yet calm leadership style.
It'll be a new era at head coach for the Tennessee Titans in 2026.
The Titans cast a wide net, reportedly interviewing Mike McDaniel, Lou Anarumo, Jason Garrett, Robert Saleh and Matt Nagy.
At the end of the day, Tennessee chose Saleh, the former New York Jets head coach and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator.
Before Saleh coaches his first game for the Titans, the team has to decide what to do with the No. 4 overall pick. I wrote about the most likely scenarios Tennessee could go with.
One recent mock draft had the Titans taking a guard in the second round to add stability to the position after Kevin Zeitler's departure.
With about a month to go before the 2026 NFL Draft, one of Saleh's former players shared how excited he was for his former head coach and what it was like to play under him.
Joe Flacco played for the Jets from 2020-22. Saleh was hired by the franchise in 2021, so the two overlapped there for a couple of seasons. With the Jets, Flacco threw for 2,253 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Per TennesseeTitans.com's Jim Wyatt, Flacco believed that Saleh was the right guy for the job in the Music City.
"I'm happy for him," Flacco said of Saleh. "I liked him a lot when I was with him during my time in New York. I have a lot of respect for him as a coach, especially on that defensive side of the ball. I think he is going to get those guys right. I think they have a good one."
The long-tenured quarterback even gave fans a sense of how Saleh is as a head coach, highlighting his intensity while also noting his ability to stay calm and focused in the big moments.
"He is intense, but he knows football, and he is able to stay calm," Flacco said of Saleh. "He has been through a lot of different situations, and he has done it at all levels. I think he is going to bring that intensity (to Tennessee), but at the same time, he is able to stay level-headed and lead those guys."
Saleh definitely has his work cut out for him after the Titans have gone 3-14 in consecutive seasons. General Manager Mike Borgonzi knew this roster needed work and put the Titans' league-leading cap space to good use.
Borgonzi's major additions included Wan'Dale Robinson, John Franklin-Myers, Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott. He added even more players than just those four, most of whom have ties to either Saleh or offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
Out of all the teams he's played for, Flacco has yet to be a quarterback for the Titans, but this is some high praise from one of the league's more respected gunslingers.