Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach sent out a bittersweet press release just before the Divisional Round matchup with the Houston Texans on January 18.
The post bid farewell to former assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi, and it was captioned: “Thank you for everything the last 16 seasons, Mike! Best of luck in Tennessee 🤝.”
It also included two quote graphics from Veach. The first highlighted a portion of a longer message, which read: “I am excited to see Mike get his chance to lead an organization. The Titans made an outstanding hire.”
The second was the aforementioned longer message from Veach, which stated:
First and foremost, congratulations to Mike, his wife Jill, and their kids on this well-deserved opportunity.
Mike has an incredible football mind, he’s detailed in his work and he understands the ins and outs of the draft, free agency, building an NFL roster and managing the salary cap.
Beyond the job, Mike is an outstanding father, husband, and a close friend. I am excited to see Mike get his chance to lead an organization. The Titans made an outstanding hire.
Needless to say, while the Chiefs appear thrilled for Borgonzi, his departure does create a void inside the KC front office.
This is the unfortunate part of being successful in a league like the NFL. Whether it’s players, coaches or front office executives, teams tend to target and poach individuals who are a part of the best and brightest organizations.
And as we know, the Chiefs have been the toast of the NFL in recent years.
Titans Continue to Target Former Chiefs as KC-Tennessee Pipeline Develops
It’s not the first time that the Titans organization has attempted to emulate the Chiefs by targeting a member of their franchise.
Last offseason, Tennessee traded for star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, hoping to kickstart their defensive rebuild. Ironically, Borgonzi will now replace the man who made that deal — ex-Titans general manager Ran Carthon.
There’s been a bit of a trade pipeline developing between Kansas City and Tennessee in recent years. That includes the DeAndre Hopkins deal this season and the Sneed trade last spring.
With Veach’s “close friend” Borgonzi now taking over the Titans’ operation, expect that organizational relationship to continue in the coming years.
Titans Impressed by the ‘Standard’ Mike Borgonzi’s Chiefs Resume Brings
After hiring Borgonzi, Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk raved about Borgonzi’s experience and resume with the Chiefs.
“It’s the type of standard I want to build here in Tennessee,” Strunk said in a statement. “I know we have a lot of work ahead of us and I’m excited for Mike to get started.”
Similarly, president of football operations Chad Brinker voiced that “Mike [Borgonzi] should have been a general manager two years ago.”
“He is ready for this job,” Brinker went on. “And this was the place that he wanted to be. When he came in the building, he said it just felt like a family here, and it reminded him a little bit of Kansas City and what they have been able to build there.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the Tennessee organization transforms under Borgonzi’s leadership and expertise. The Titans last contended with the Chiefs and the best of the best in the AFC under former head coach Mike Vrabel and former general manager Jon Robinson in 2021.
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