4 biggest threats to stop Mike Vrabel from returning to the Patriots

Washington Commanders

Perhaps Vrabel doesn't want to stray too far from where he's most comfortable, that being the East Coast area. The Commanders recently fired Ron Rivera after four seasons and are entering a new era with a new owner and plenty of money to spend in free agency.

On top of that, they secured the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, sweetening the deal for any incoming head coach. Being part of the decision to draft the next franchise quarterback could be appealing for Vrabel, allowing him to get some of the top talents in the class and rebuild the offense from top to bottom.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Although Mike Tomlin is still employed by the Steelers, there has been a lot of talk about the tenured head coach deciding to move on after 17 seasons with the franchise. If that's the decision he makes once the Steelers finish their 2023 season, Vrabel could go back to where his NFL career began but in a different role.

The Steelers are another team filled with young talent, including a quarterback on a rookie contract, with a tough defense led by former Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt.

They're a defensive-heavy team, which is perfect for the type of coach and player Vrabel is/was, and he would be a fantastic successor to an accomplished coach like Tomlin.