When Mike Vrabel was hired as the Patriots' Head Coach and de facto personnel head, a lot was expected in some circles. Vrabel has delivered on all those expectations and then some.
Hiring Vrabel was the best decision team owner Robert Kraft had made since 2018. Vrabel now says he got the right players in the building, had a quarterback, and didn't beat themselves, among other thoughts. He was spot on.
The veteran, and former NFL Coach of the Year, then conducted one of the best roster offseason reconstructions in Patriots history. Using free agency, the draft, and undrafted free agency almost to perfection, Vrabel then did the unthinkable.
He proceeded to coach up all those new players and dethroned the AFC East Champion Buffalo Bills. As actor H mphrey Bogart said in The Maltese Falcon, "It's the stuff that dreams are made of. But this w s no dream. It happened.
And, it was no accident. Vrabel is a professional's professional when it comes to both NFL Head Coaching and NFL personnel evaluation and roster construction. He's as good as it gets on both accounts. And as they say, "The proof is in the pudding," and Vrabel's was amazingly tasty.
Teams are built in the offseason and Mike Vrabel had a great offseason
Mike Vrabel's goal in the Patriots' offseason was clear from the outset. It was to improve every position he could with the Patriots' available cash and draft picks.
He began in free agency, upgrading his dismal wide receiver and offensive line units to give his Pro Bowl (and he knew better) young quarterback, Drake Maye, a chance to flourish. Then he added playmakers to every level of his defense.
The Coach of the Year candidate spoke to reporters after the team's latest win and reflected on what they accomplished in his first season, praising the players mostly for leading the way.
The beginning of Vrabel’s answer on how he turned this franchise around from 4 wins to 14 wins in one calendar year:
— Tom Carroll (@yaboiTCfresh) January 5, 2026
“We got the right guys in the building at the right time, and got good quarterback play. Figured out how to not beat ourselves. I think we played to an identity,… pic.twitter.com/Gg0z1a2jY7
When Vrabel was hired, it was clear that everything in Foxborough would change. The amateurish 2024 offseason, which, among other gaffes, didn't address the left tackle position at all, was replaced with a keen, professional approach from a seasoned NFL veteran. Vrabel knew exactly what to do and how to do it.
MIke Vrabel should win two major 2025 NFL Awards
The obvious award Mike Vrabel should win, though there is solid competition, is 2025's NFL Coach of the Year. No coach did a better job than Vrabel in first assembling, then melding, then getting his players not only to buy into his culture, but to execute his plan brilliantly.
When you dethrone the Buffalo Bills, one of the NFL's best teams, quarterbacked by the NFL's MVP from the top of the AFC East (one of Vrabel's few stated goals) in your first season, you're not just doing something, you're doing something amazing. And in the process, Vrabel's team eclipsed even the most optimistic of predictions from Patriots' fandom.
Another award that Vrabel should also be in contention for is NFL Executive of the Year. While Vrabel does not officially hold the title of President of Football Operations or any other player personnel title, it was Vrabel who assembled this now 14-3 team from the mess of 2024, and he deserves that award, as well.
Anyone who doubts that it was Vrabel all along can just compare and contrast the 2024 amateurish offseason with Vrabel's precise professional work in 2025.
There is no comparison to be made. Vrabel is a top professional. With all that said, it's playoff time, and Patriot Nation will now see just how far Vrabel has taken their team in one year. It's been a great ride, and like in 2001, anything can happen.