The New England Patriots announced that they have reached an agreement to hire Mike Vrabel, who won three championships with the team as a linebacker, as their next head coach.
The Pats’ decision to fire former head coach Jerod Mayo moments after the final regular season game in 2024 ended was met with criticism and questioning. Many believed Mayo didn’t get the full opportunity to prove himself worthy of the job. While true, it can be argued that Mayo never had the previous qualifications for the Patriots to hire him in the first place, having never even been a coordinator for a team. The difference between Mayo and Vrabel is that Vrabel has the pedigree and experience to land himself a job.
Mike Vrabel Lands in New England
Vrabel previously coached the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023, recording four winning seasons, three playoff appearances, an AFC Championship berth, and was named the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year. He was fired after the 2023 season with a 6-11 record, which was questioned by the media and Titans fans, as the talent on the team had been bare with a questionable quarterback situation. The Titans their first season without Vrabel went 3-14 and hold the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Patriots despite their consecutive 4-13 seasons have potential moving forward, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Vrabel who specializes in defense is coming into a situation where he has young talents like Christian Gonzalez and Anfernee Jennings as building blocks to form a strong unit. Players like Christian Barmore, Marcus Jones and perhaps even Jabrill Peppers could all be set to return, giving the defense the potential to be even more formidable.
There are still several moves and adjustments to the coaching staff and roster that need to be made for the Patriots to get back to their winning ways. Vrabel is a defensive-minded coach and has shown in the past with the Titans he can have his defensive units playing at a high level. Still, the Patriots’ biggest woes come on the offensive side of the ball, and with former offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt no longer with the team, the Pats need to hire the guy in charge of further developing Drake Maye and improving the offense.
Former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is currently the favorite to return to New England in the same role. McDaniels spent 12 total years as the offensive play-caller for the Pats, winning multiple Super Bowls with Tom Brady as Quarterback. McDaniels even spent a year with rookie Quarterback Mac Jones in 2021, which resulted in Jones being selected to the Pro Bowl. McDaniels then took a head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 which was when Jones’ production began to decline.
McDaniels’ two head coaching stints were largely unsuccessful, and both saw him getting fired after just two seasons with both respective teams. This could mean he is no longer a commodity as a head coaching candidate and can be an opportunity for him and Drake Maye to not only get on the same page and work on his development but gain chemistry and continuity down the road. McDaniels may not be head coaching material, but has proven to be a consistent offensive coordinator and might be the best guy available for that position, giving the Pats plenty reason to hire him once again.
With Vrabel officially being the head guy in charge, the Patriots will move forward hoping he can replicate what he did in Tennessee and create a winning culture. It is essential for the Patriots to make the right hire on offense to help Drake Maye grow and be a primary factor in leading the team to relevance. If both of those things can happen, the Patriots have a lot to be optimistic about heading into 2025 and beyond.
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