NFL Rumors: Titans HC Mike Vrabel throws up hint on his future with Patriots waiting in the wings
Mike Vrabel's 2023 season didn't go according to plan, but Week 18 gave a consolation prize to the franchise as they upset the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, despite the win, Vrabel's status remains up in the air this week as the team considers their future.
According to Jordan Schultz and Bleacher Report on Twitter/X, the head coach is open to the idea of returning to where it all started for the former linebacker. If the New England Patriots were to part ways with Bill Belichick, Vrabel would reportedly be interested in attempting to fill Belichick's shoes.
In the past, experts and analysts had predicted that Jerod Mayo, the linebacking coach, was a strong contender for the position. However, if he gets the job now, it would be a change from that prediction in one sense, but in another sense, it would be consistent with the usual practice.
With Mayo, the New England Patriots would get an individual with previous coaching experience and a previous employment history with the franchise. With Vrabel, they would also get someone with previous experience with the team and as a coach.
With the coaching changes still in their infancy stages across the league, many more names could surface.
Mike Vrabel is at risk of joining growing number of firings
Mike Vrabel would be far from the first name put on the street this season. At the time of writing, the Raiders, Panthers, Commanders, Falcons, and Los Angeles Chargers have moved on from the head coach on the sidelines and are in an active search for a successor.
This also might not be the end of the list by the end of the week as teams continue to evaluate their situations while roughly half of the league prepares to enter single elimination.
This will be the first step as teams aim to get their head coaching roles solidified before the start of free agency in March and the NFL Draft in late April. In addition to turnover in coaching staffs across the league, players' futures, such as Mike Evans will be decided in the coming months.