If you can believe it, it sounds like Mike Vrabel aced his Patriots interview.
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Vrabel, who spent this past NFL season as a personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns, has long been considered the frontrunner for the job after the Patriots fired Jerod Mayo after the season ended. While the Patriots have continued to conduct interviews with other potential coaches, basically all the reporting over the past few weeks has hinted that it was his job to lose.
And according to the Boston Globe's Patriots beat reporter Nicole Yang, the two sides are currently working out the details of his contract. On Saturday afternoon, Yang reported that Vrabel and the Patriots were already in negotiations to bring him on as the head coach. NFL reporter Tom Pelissero also confirmed that the team was talking to Vrabel's agent about contract terms.
Patriots and Mike Vrabel are reportedly already working out contract details
Patriots in negotiations to sign Mike Vrabel as head coach, per @nicolecyang https://t.co/ZzHnP84zWF
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) January 11, 2025
If this does happen – which it sounds like it will – it's not like anyone's going to be all that surprised. Vrabel's long been considered one of the best coaching candidates in this year's cycle, and his connection to New England needs no explanation.
During his six-year run as the Titans' head coach, Vrabel went 54-45, and he won NFL Coach of the Year in 2021. He won at least nine games in each of his first four seasons, and two AFC South division titles (2017 & 2019). His Titans teams had a Top-10 rushing offense in total yards from 2018-2021, and in 2020 they finished second league-wide in points scored.
So far, the only other candidate that's been legitimately linked to the Patriots' head coaching job was Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who's also taking interviews with the Jaguars, Bears, and Raiders.