When the Patriots started the layoff season by firing Jerod Mayo, it was assumed that Mike Vrabel would be made room. The former franchise legend's name was already floating around in coaching rumors, and it felt like New England wanted to jump into the process. Now, just a few days later, Vrabel is quickly becoming one of the hottest coaching candidates for the 2025 cycle, but it's now unclear where he will land.
Currently, three teams are planning to meet with the former Titans head coach. On Tuesday, he's in New York to meet with the Jets about their vacancy. Vrabel then heads to Chicago to discuss the Bears' opener before finishing the week with the New Orleans Saints.
Vrabel certainly has the resume to be interviewed for these jobs, but the reason he's popping up so often now boils down to three key factors.
Part 1: Hiring is currently in a lull
It's layoff season, but hiring season doesn't start for another week or two. NFL rules state that coordinators currently participating in the playoffs cannot interview with other teams, which severely limits who they can consult.
Some of the most popular names in the NFL won't be available for several weeks, sometimes until after the Super Bowl. That included Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Cohen and Ravens' Todd Monken.
The team needs to have a backup plan in case they miss out on some of the big names in the cycle, and Vrabel is available to interview now. He's probably the best candidate he can currently interview.
2nd place: Mike Vrabel is really good.
Just because you can interview him right now doesn't mean he's a bad candidate. The Titans' decision to fire Vrabel remains one of the most nonsensical coaching firings of the past decade.
In six seasons as head coach at Tennessee, he led the team to a 54-45 record and led the team to the playoffs three times. This is from an organization without it Vrabel had only reached the postseason three times in the previous 10 years. He didn't have a franchise QB, but he still produced results.
Without Vrabel, the Titans went 3-14 and had the No. 1 pick in the draft.
With a defensively focused coach and the right offensive coordinator in Vrabel, the franchise could turn around quickly.
Part 3: This could still be Vrabel's chess
Assuming Vrabel already has the Patriots job, he's still obligated to interview around the NFL. Despite the history between the coach and the Pats, it's up to him and his agent to maximize his salary, which requires being coveted.
Another factor is that he could be the favorite for the Pats' job, but is that the best position for him? There are a lot of solid pieces on New England's roster, but a lot To make this team a winner, we need to work on both offense and defense. A slow burn with build-up may be needed, and it wouldn't be wild to assume that Vrabel might want something easier after going through that with Tennessee.
