Mike Vrabel wants to be the next head coach of the New England Patriots, and he’s not afraid to use the New York Jets to help him land the job.
Vrabel has quickly been named the leading candidate by many to replace Jerod Mayo. The latter was fired mere minutes after the dust settled on a 4-13 season for the Patriots.
Mayo always looked somewhat out of his depth as a rookie head coach, but Vrabel is a more proven commodity. He spent six years as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, earning a 54-45 record to go with a trio of playoff berths.
A track record this solid naturally makes Vrabel a coach in high demand. It’s why he’s already interviewed with New England’s AFC East rivals, but sitting down with the Jets might have been a manipulation, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports.
She revealed being “told that Mike Vrabel’s dalliance w/ #Jets was to put pressure on #Patriots to make a move. With a young, incredibly promising QB (who improved every week despite very little talent around him), more cap space than anyone and stable ownership, of course the NE job ranks high.”
The Pats represent a more logical fit for Vrabel. He won three Super Bowls as a two-way player of sorts in the early 2000s. Unlike Mayo, who also played linebacker and lifted a Lombardi Trophy in New England, Vrabel’s comfortable handling the demands that come with the top job.
Those factors are why the 49-year-old already looks like the favorite to be the Patriots’ next head coach.
Mike Vrabel a Popular Name for Patriots
There’s no shortage of insiders who are convinced Vrabel is ticketed as Mayo’s successor. They include NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who believes Vrabel’s name “very quickly comes to the forefront.”
Rapoport’s confidence is shared by Zack Cox of the Boston Herald. He stated Vrabel “has to be the clear favorite here, but the Patriots will need to interview other candidates to satisfy the Rooney Rule.”
It may take some time before the Patriots wrap things up with Vrabel, but his arrival would change several things, including the coaching staff. As Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported, “The belief, among sources close to the situation, is Mike Vrabel has been interested in the Patriots’ potential vacancy in recent weeks. And he’d have some quality assistants who would be prepared to go with him if that’s how it unfolds.”
Changing assistants is inevitable, particularly since offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt quickly followed Mayo through the exit door, but there are other considerations. Like Vrabel fixing some of the damaging intangibles that developed on Mayo’s watch.
Jerod Mayo Undone by Intangibles
Making the jump from inside linebackers coach to the top job proved a daunting leap for Mayo. He also faced the challenge of replacing six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick.
The latter had the hardware, but Belichick also let the roster decline rapidly after quarterback Tom Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. It meant Mayo inherited a lopsided team, one strong defensively, but a mess on offense.
Each of those factors mitigate a few of the growing pains Mayo experienced. Yet, inherited problems don’t explain all of his failings.
Mayo made mistakes, like waiting too long to start rookie quarterback Drake Maye. The third-overall pick in last year’s draft proved he’s a star in the making, but Mayo’s mixed messages about Van Pelt’s play calling, hardly helped Maye’s development.
Poor communication skills became an ongoing issue for Mayo. He struggled to explain confusing game-day decisions and had trouble motivating the defense.
It all added up to what Cox’s Herald colleague Doug Kyed reported “team sources” called a “poor culture with a lack of leadership that can make demanding and decisive decisions.”
Vrabel understands what it takes to foster good habits and a winning mentality across a roster. He also made the Titans a hard-nosed group few teams relished playing.
Restoring pride and physicality should be the first task for whoever’s named the next Patriots head coach.
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