NFL notes: Titans owner denies coach Mike Mularkey might be fired

Tennessee owner Amy Adams Strunk shot down speculation that Mike Mularkey’s job is at risk, saying her coach is going nowhere after helping change the Titans’ culture and getting their first playoff victory in 14 years.

National reports first had Mularkey potentially fired if the Titans lost their regular-season finale and again if Tennessee lost its AFC wild-card game at Kansas City. Instead, the Titans pulled off a major comeback after trailing 21-3 at halftime.

Strunk tried to stop all the talk with her statement on Mularkey’s job security Sunday .

“I regret that outside rumors gained a life of their own,” Strunk said. “No one has been a bigger supporter of Mike Mularkey than I have over the last two-plus seasons. Just to eliminate any distractions moving forward, Mike Mularkey is our head coach and will be our head coach moving forward.”

Strunk made Mularkey interim head coach in November 2015 after firing Ken Whisenhunt, who went 3-20 in his short tenure. Mularkey went 2-7 before Strunk gave him a three-year contract as head coach in January 2016, two days after hiring Jon Robinson as general manager.

Mularkey addressed the national reports that his job was on the line after the Titans beat Kansas City 22-21 on Saturday.

“No,” Mularkey said. “I haven’t had any support to say that I was (secure). No. I just assumed the worst.”

Strunk credited Mularkey and Robinson with changing the culture of the organization and said she’s so happy they’ve been able to win 19 games over the past two seasons, including the first playoff victory since Jan. 3, 2004. She said the Titans have plenty of work ahead starting with the AFC divisional round against either New England or Pittsburgh.

“I am looking forward to the journey,” Strunk said.

With the win over the Chiefs, Mularkey now has a victory in his first postseason game. He also is 21-21 since taking over the Titans. Their latest win needed an amazing comeback from a 21-3 halftime deficit, tying for the second-largest rally by a road team in the playoffs. They tied Dallas’ comeback from an 18-point deficit in 1972 in the divisional round to beat San Francisco.

Only Detroit’s rally from 20 points down in 1957 to beat the 49ers in the divisional round was bigger than Tennessee’s comeback.

Etc.

A person familiar with the decision tells the Associated Press that the Green Bay Packers are promoting player personnel director Brian Gutekunst to be the team’s next general manager. The person requested anonymity because the team has made no formal announcement. Gutekunst would replace Ted Thompson, who is transitioning to a senior advisory role in the front office. The Houston Chronicle first reported Sunday that Gutekunst had taken the job. …

The Chicago Bears interviewed Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy for their head coaching job. Nagy has spent 10 seasons working under Andy Reid in Philadelphia and Kansas City. Chicago, which fired John Fox after a 5-11 season and .292 winning percentage in three years, also interviewed Philadelphia quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, Minnesota and New England offensive coordinators Pat Shurmur and Josh McDaniels, Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards and Chicago defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.