The 2025 New England Patriots suffered a huge blow when Mike Vrabel's Defensive Coordinator, Terrell Williams, was unable to take the field due to illness. It was a credit to Vrabel that he wasted little time in appointing inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr as the temporary DC. Led by a solid defensive line and secondary, the defense thrived.
Vrabel knew what he was getting in Kuhr, and the assistant coach then justified his confidence by leading the Patriots' revamped defense to the Super Bowl. With Williams taking a position as Assistant Head Coach this offseason, Vrabel promoted Kuhr to DC, who'll run the Patriots' defense in 2026.
Si.com's Ethan Hurwitz lauds Kuhr's success in stepping into an extremely difficult 2025 situation and excelling. He also notes two key motivators that Kuhr pointed out, which will help fuel the coach's 2026 efforts as the official play-caller.
Patriots' Zak Kuhr is well-motivated to lead the 2026 Patriots' defense
Kuhr will lead the Patriots' 2026 defense, and that assignment won't be without challenges. The team
allowed Khyiris Tonga to leave in free agency and is thin at defensive tackle. But that's down the list from the most critical lack of talent that Kuhr will have to navigate and address.
The lack of proven pass rushers is a clear and present danger to the Patriots' defense and season.
Kuhr understands the pressure he's under after a successful 2025 season, and he wasn't shy about what keeps him motivated, especially going into a year that is already projected to be among the toughest the Patriots have faced in a long time.
"'There’s two things that really motivate me -- belief and doubt,' Kuhr said. 'The people that believe in me, I go that much harder for them. I truly believe that Vrabes believes in me. Terrell, everybody on the staff. And then truly the people that doubt me drive me that much as well. When I hear that (doubt), and I hear that, 'Hey, we believe in you.' Yes, it drives me, absolutely.'"
Clearly, Kuhr is motivated both by his supporters and his detractors. And, interestingly, he has also received positive reinforcement from outside the building. Pro Football Focus recently as one of 15 top candidates for a future NFL head coaching job.
The 2026 season is shaping up to be a challenging one for both Kuhr and the Patriots' defense. They need to shore up the edge, and do it soon. Not only did the team let last season's solid K'Lavon Chaisson go and replace him with Dre'Mont Jones, but the other starter, Harold Landry III, still has injury questions.
Making things even more difficult, second-round draft pick Gabe Jacas, in whom many hoped, has been injured and is also a contract holdout.
Hopefully, Vrabel will add veteran talent to the edge before the season starts. Regardless, Kuhr seems poised to deal with any and every eventuality. And he's very well-motivated to do so.
Add us as a preferred source on Google