To the bewilderment of NFL fans, the league-worst Tennessee Titans requested and reportedly received permission from the Cleveland Browns to interview Catherine Hickman for their vacant general manager position.
Personally, it's nothing against Hickman. He has high-level experience after breaking into the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019, and previously worked for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League in his native Quebec.
Instead, fans are primarily reacting to his recent resume… with the Browns 3-14.
“Right, because the Browns are the ideal franchise to release talent,” one fan wrote on X, where many others shared similar thoughts.
'Why would we want anyone from the Browns front office?' asked one Titans fan.
Another commenter decided to make a play on words: “Because the Browns are, pardon the pun, titans of front office genius.”
Cleveland Browns assistant general manager and vice president of football operations Catherine Hickman, pictured during an interview at an NFL football practice, Nov. 2, 2023.
Fans did not react with sexist comments, but rather with concerns about Hickman's recent resume.
Others were even less supportive of hiring someone from a franchise that has three playoff appearances – and only one postseason victory – since 1999.
“Wow,” one fan began. '…an NFL team looking to hire someone from the Browns organization is crippling…there is not a single facet of the team that has excelled at anything…they are the example of what NOT to do from top to bottom… Sorry Titans fans, I really feel bad for all of you.”
Others were curious whether Hickman was involved in the disastrous 2022 trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who came to Cleveland to receive a bevy of draft picks and has since battled injuries, inconsistency and the lingering stigma of allegations of sexual misconduct.
'Did this individual have anything to do with the Deshaun Watson trade/signing?' asked a fan.
For better or worse, Hickman arrived in Cleveland months after Watson was acquired ahead of the 2022 season.
She has been the Browns' assistant general manager and vice president of football operations since 2022 after being hired in 2019 as the Philadelphia Eagles' coordinator of football operations. The person spoke to the AP Wednesday on condition of anonymity because neither team comments on interview requests.
Hickman is currently the highest-ranking NFL executive with a team.
Reuniting with Hickman will help Tennessee comply with the Rooney Rule that requires a team to interview at least two outside candidates who are people of color or women for the Titans' general manager job.
Watson went 1-6 as a starter this season before injuring his Achilles tendon against Cincinnati.
To be clear: Hickman arrived in Cleveland months after the disastrous Deshaun Watson deal.
Interestingly, fan reaction on social media had little to do with Hickman's gender, but rather his connection to the Browns.
“Sounds appropriate since we're the Browns of the South,” one Titans fan wrote about the interview.
The Titans sent out several interview requests to fill the general manager position that opened Tuesday with the firing of Ran Carthon after two seasons on the job. He was the franchise's first black general manager and was fired after the Titans went 9-25 during his tenure.
Chad Brinker, the Titans' president of football operations, is leading the search and told the AP on Tuesday that they already have a lot of interest in the job.
The controlling owner of the Titans is Amy Adams Strunk.