It was only a matter of time before the Patriots officially announced they were hiring former linebacker and ex-Titans head coach Mike Vrabel to succeed Jerod Mayo. After interviewing him last Thursday, they made the announcement on Sunday morning, with NFL insiders citing a multi-year deal to have him lead the team into a new era.
It was the expected move for several reasons, mainly Robert Kraft's predictability and essentially confirming the rumors that circulated before Mayo's hiring in 2024. It had long been said that Vrabel was Kraft's favorite for the job, but he hadn't been made available until after Mayo was announced to replace Bill Belichick.
The #Patriots are expected to hire Mike Vrabel as their new head coach, per me and @TomPelissero. The clear favorite from the beginning.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 12, 2025
A former All-Pro in New England and member of the team’s Hall of Fame, Vrabel lands at his top choice. Back with his old team. pic.twitter.com/dG0mjY07KV
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This time around, however, he did have a bit more competition with the addition of Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. He interviewed with the Patriots on Friday and had reportedly impressed them to the point of forcing the Krafts to reconsider their favoritism toward Vrabel, only to inevitably decide he was their guy all along.
It is a decision that has already been met with skepticism, mainly due to feeling like the entire head coaching search was a sham. Given how tied Vrabel is to the franchise, it's hard to argue against that narrative, even if it's clear the Krafts are prioritizing experience and culture with the hire.
Mike Vrabel's proven experience is likely what made him the primary candidate from the start
Perhaps one of the biggest issues with the 2024 Patriots, other than a lack of talent, was a seeming lack of culture installed post-Belichick. It was apparent from the beginning that Mayo was hoping to avoid any and all reminders of the dynasty era to create his own players-first attitude in Foxboro.
He quickly became labeled a player's coach for many reasons, most of which came from his understanding of their mindset as a former player himself and the dramatic changes he made to the locker room, like adding a more community atmosphere.
It seemed valid at first, but it was something that eventually led to his downfall.
Mayo was never put into a situation to be successful, and being the first one after a coach like Belichick doomed him from the start. It was never going to be easy for whoever was his successor, but Mayo had a particularly difficult time throughout the season.
That's ultimately what makes the Vrabel hire over Johnson far less surprising. Vrabel has experience as a head coach since he led the Titans for six years and created a culture in Tennessee that his players loved to be part of. That is an invaluable factor for the Patriots, who need it more than ever, on top of his experience working with all sides of a football team.