Mike Vrabel agreed with The Athletic’s Deanna Russini.
During a recent appearance Podcast “Pardon My Take”, Russini recalled receiving a phone call from Vrabel and said he was “not too happy” to see a tally report that apparently claimed he was “too fat to work,” but that the Titans suddenly It was not included in Russini’s initial report after he was fired.
Asked if players or coaches ever got mad at her over her coverage, Russini said, “The day after the tally got my remark that Mike Vrabel was too fat to work, I got a phone call.” “What I shared [‘The Athletic Football Show’] It was having dinner with the GM at the Senior Bowl. [in February 2024] And we talked about how weird this last coaching cycle was and how crazy it was. [former Patriots coach Bill] Belichick and Vrabel didn’t play the gig.
“So I said, “Why do you think Mike couldn’t find a job?” I think there are a lot of people who are scared.” I was a little surprised at first because he’s such a confident, physically big guy when he walks into a room. ” Very normal, right? What if I told you this? …His hands are as big as your head. ”
Russini explained that her report had been “altered” by the aggregator and that hearing from Vrabel was “not great” under the circumstances.
“So when the aggregators accepted that and changed all of this, you know, the way I put it, it wasn’t great to hear from a head coach who wasn’t very happy to begin with — uh. Now a former head coach,” she said. “After we talked about why he was fired, he didn’t call me. But in part…I called him a little fat and he wasn’t very happy. ”
Vrabel, 6-foot-4, 261 pounds, is a former linebacker for the Patriots and a three-time Super Bowl champion.
The Titans fired the 48-year-old as head coach in January after six consecutive losing seasons, which came as a surprise to some as Vrabel helped improve Tennessee’s culture. was.
During an appearance on The Athletic Football Show on Feb. 5, Russini, who left ESPN to join The Athletic in August, talked about a conversation he had with an anonymous GM about Vrabel.
“I don’t think he was a good fit. I don’t think he sat in front of an owner who thought his style would work well with what they were looking for.” Russini said When asked why she believed Vrabel didn’t have the head coaching job at the time, she replied, “Did you know there was a GM who mentioned Vrabel’s size at the Senior Bowl? He’s a very large person and can be very intimidating to people within the organization who participate in these decisions. . And that’s a factor.”
“Well, I laughed. I said, ‘That’s not real. Who cares what someone looks like physically?’
“And he said, ‘I’m telling you, I’ve been in the room and someone’s physical presence can make a difference.'”
In January, Russini and Joe Rexroad The Athletic reported that Vrabel’s reunion with the Patriots (he spent Tennessee’s bye week at the Oct. 22 Patriots-Bills game in hopes of being inducted into the New England Hall of Fame) was announced by Titans owner Amy – Reported that Adams Slank did not like it.
They never talked about it, but “she made it worse.”
The Athletic spoke to “more than a dozen prominent figures inside and outside the organization on condition of anonymity,” who said a combination of “poor communication, misinterpreted statements and misunderstandings” led to Vrabel’s dismissal. .
