Another NFL head coach has the ax to grind.
Mike Vrabel was fired by the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday after six seasons, throwing a curve ball on the offseason coaching merry-go-round.
The Titans missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season, and their 6-11 record was the worst in Vrabel's six years as head coach.
There has been speculation that Vrabel could be a candidate for the Patriots if New England partes ways with Bill Belichick.
“I spoke with Mike Vrabel earlier today and discussed the decision to change head coaches,” Titans owner Amy Adams Slank said in a statement. “As I told Coach Vrabel, this decision was as difficult as any I have made as a controlling owner. I am grateful for Mike's contributions to the Tennessee Titans on and off the field. I had the pleasure of meeting him. Everyone knows what a passionate and genuine person he is, and a strong supporter of the Nashville community. We wish Mike, Jen, and the Vrabel family all the best in the future. I just pray.”
The 48-year-old won three Super Bowls as a linebacker with the Patriots under Belichick and spent four years with the Texans before becoming the Titans' head coach for the first time in 2018, last serving as defensive coordinator. Ta.
The Titans missed the playoffs in Vrabel's first year with a 9-7 record, but made it to the playoffs for the third straight year in 2019-20, reaching the AFC Championship Game.
Vrabel was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2021 when the Titans went 12-5 and lost just one game in the divisional round.
The Titans join the Chargers, Commanders, Falcons, Raiders, and Panthers as teams looking for a new head coach.
This NFL recruiting cycle has already been rife with intrigue, with Belichick's future up in the air and Jim Harbaugh, who won a national title at Michigan, potentially considering returning to the NFL.
