Mike Mularkey says 'ridiculous' rumors weren't fair to his family

Ron Clements

Mike Mularkey says 'ridiculous' rumors weren't fair to his family image

Even before his team took the field at Arrowhead Stadium, there were rumors that Mike Mularkey was coaching his last game for the Titans.

Saturday's AFC wild-card game against the Chiefs was being viewed as a must-win for the third-year Titans coach. After the Titans rallied from a 21-3 deficit for a 22-21 win, Mularkey said the "ridiculous" rumors he could be fired if the Titans lost were a bunch of malarkey.

"I don't think it's fair to my family," Mularkey told reporters after winning his first playoff game. "When it has an effect on my family, it has an effect on me. So it had a big effect on me."

The Titans beat the Jaguars in the regular-season finale to complete a sweep of the AFC South champions and secure a playoff spot with a 9-7 record. But even with Tennessee's first playoff berth since 2008, Mularkey said he never received a vote of confidence from team owner Amy Adams Strunk or anyone else from the organization's brass, so he "assumed the worst."

The Titans advance to the divisional round and will face either the Patriots or Steelers. Following Saturday's win, several Titans players expressed their support of Mularkey.

"That's crazy. You heard of that on Mularkey? That man has put us in great position to be successful. I'm happy to have him as a head coach," linebacker Brian Orakpo said, via ESPN. "Good Lord. I can't believe people talking about him losing his job."

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Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, who became the first-ever player to complete a touchdown pass to himself in a playoff game, said Mularkey did "an incredible job of handling this entire situation."

"I think he's done a great job of keeping this team together, keeping us focused on our task at hand," Mariota added. "He's done a great job."

Tight end Delanie Walker said he's always had faith in the 56-year-old Mularkey.

"When he was trying to get the job, I was the one that had his back," Walker told reporters. "I wanted him here. I knew his philosophy. I knew what he was going to bring to this team, and you can see it."

Mularkey said being around his players is a "good feeling" and he gets at least one more week to lead them. 

Ron Clements