Chad BrinkerNASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Despite a report to the contrary, the Titans have not drifted from their plan for Chad Brinker to have final authority on all football matters as the team moves forward.

Brinker is the team's president of football operations while Mike Borgonzi was hired Friday as the new GM.

Both are scheduled to meet with the media on Wednesday.

In 2023, when Ran Carthon was hired as GM personnel decisions were cast as a collaboration between he and coach Mike Vrabel. A year later, Brinker was promoted from assistant GM to his current post by Amy Adams Strunk announced that Carthon would have decision-making power concerning personnel.

On Jan. 7 in conjunction with the firing of Carthon, Titans president and chief executive officer Burke Nihill said Brinker would "break ties" with respect to the 53-man roster.

But later the same day Brinker told me, "I’ve got final authority on all football-related manners,” a point he made in several other interviews as well.

With the hiring of Borgonzi, there was a strong indication things had changed from SI's Albert Breer who reported that the GW would "have final say on the roster."

While we may start hearing about collaboration again as they visit with the press—a word that disappeared once Carthon was fired— I'm told Brinker maintains the final say.

I expect the Titans will say too much is being made of it. But when it comes to assessing free-agent decisions and draft picks it's important. Borgonzi and Brinker are charged with improving the player pool Brian Callahan will have to work with in his second season. If they work together effectively they shouldn't be battling over decisions very often. 

Some teams decide if they reach that point and can't agree they move on. Others let the tie-breaker do what the owner has assigned him to do. We'll see, or we won't, with Brinker and Borgonzi.

But as he said he would be when Carthon was ousted, he's the team's top football guy.

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