Bernard Pollard said he had nothing but affection for former Titans coach Mike Munchak and his staff.
But it’s also clear he wanted nothing more than them gone for him to stay in Tennessee.
The veteran safety pointed to last year’s coaching staff as the reason for the team’s struggles, saying he’s excited to work for new boss Ken Whisenhunt.
“When I said things needed to change, one of the biggest things I saw last year was our mindset wasn’t good. When you come to a team that has been consistently losing, that almost becomes the norm for them,” Pollard told Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean. “To see things now, with Coach Whisenhunt and some of these other guys that have come in here who have been to Super Bowls and won Super Bowls, the mindset is totally different now. And that is one of the main things that played a factor in my decision on coming back.
“I love coach Munch and his staff. But I knew some things needed to change in order for me to want to be back here with the Titans.”
With love like that, Munchak won’t need hate for a while.
Pollard also apparently approves of the addition of Ray Horton to run the defense.
“We’re going to be an attack-style defense like I played in in Baltimore. We aren’t going to sit back and be that punching bag anymore,” Pollard said. “Not to say that Jerry Gray did that, I am just saying the style this year will be different, you wait and see.”
All that endorsement of Munchak and Gray really needed was a “no disrespect, but . . .” and it would have been complete.