When it was announced that Jerod Mayo would not get a second season as the Patriots head coach, there wasn't much optimism that owner Robert Kraft would conduct a proper and thorough search for his replacement. That mainly stemmed from the lack of interviewing during the 2024 offseason and the immediate hiring of Mayo, which didn't sit right with almost anyone despite the alleged clause in his contract to make him Bill Belichick's successor.
That feeling came back this offseason when Mike Vrabel became the frontrunner for the job, with most assuming that meant Kraft had already made up his mind and wouldn't make a legitimate effort to speak with quality candidates.
While you could still make that argument since most would claim only Vrabel and Ben Johnson were the viable candidates interviewed, it's hard to suggest that Vrabel was the wrong choice, given how much help the Patriots need after a first-time head coach failure.
But there's a new theory being floated that maybe Kraft made his mind up about Mayo's replacement long before he conducted any interviews or even fired the head coach after Week 18, and if that's the case, that is not a good look for him or the organization.
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Floated theory suggests Robert Kraft can't stay away from controversy
During a recent episode of their podcast The Dan & Ninko Show, the duo discussed the multitude of changes the Patriots are undergoing this offseason, with the Vrabel hiring being the most notable.
But within that discussion, Dan O'Brien suggested there might be more to Kraft deciding to hire the former Titans head coach than simply believing he was the best fit, hinting that Vrabel may have known he was to be Mayo's replacement well before the season was even over.
"They have the money to revamp this whole roster. I'm assuming Vrabel has a plan. I mean, this was all in the works. When do you think Vrabel was actually hired? The last four weeks of the season?
[Josh] McDaniels did an interview saying he picked Vrabel up from the airport to bring him to Foxborough for his interview. Obviously, McDaniels was hired whenever Vrabel knew he was hired. I think Vrabel knew he got the job in December. Like the beginning of December."
If there is any truth to that speculation, Kraft has now turned his back on two head coaches and schemed to find their replacements behind the scenes, as he allegedly did with Mayo during Bill Belichick's final season.
Although Vrabel seems to be the best and right guy for the job, it's hard to look past the possibility that he got the job in a sleazy way. He might not have known that was going on per se, but it's not a great look, regardless of all the details.
Of course, the hope is that this isn't entirely true, even if it doesn't necessarily directly impact what they're trying to build with Vrabel. It's more about not starting another controversy or blemish on the organization and not wanting another issue that might need to be addressed in the future that could have been avoided.