Patriots will reportedly interview Mike Vrabel this week

Patriots

Mike Vrabel is viewed as one of the front-runners for the Patriots’ head-coaching position.

By Conor Ryan

January 7, 2025 | 4:52 PM

3 minutes to read

The Patriots are reportedly set to interview the apparent frontrunner for the team’s head coaching vacancy. 

MassLive’s Mark Daniels reported on Tuesday that the Patriots will interview Mike Vrabel this week — joining what is expected to be a crowded crop of suitors for the ex-Titans coach’s services. 

“The belief, among sources close to the situation, is Mike Vrabel has been interested in the Patriots’ potential vacancy in recent weeks,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported Sunday on X. “And he’d have some quality assistants who would be prepared to go with him if that’s how it unfolds.”

The Bears, Jets, and Saints are also linked to Vrabel during this latest coaching carousel, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter,

Vrabel stands as one of many coaching candidates that the Patriots have targeted, with New England reportedly requesting an interview with Lions offensive coordinator Brian Johnson earlier this week. 

Speaking on Monday, Robert Kraft was asked if he viewed Vrabel as his team’s top coaching candidate.

“Before I make a comment like that, I don’t know all the people involved, and there are some wonderful people that we’ve heard about,” Kraft said. “So, I’d rather respond to that after I’ve seen everyone.”

Vrabel checks off plenty of boxes for the Patriots as a former player with a championship pedigree and the resume of a seasoned head coach. 

Vrabel won three Super Bowls as a bruising linebacker over eight seasons with the Patriots, earning a spot in the team’s Hall of Fame in 2023. 

He praised the Patriots during a halftime ceremony at Gillette Stadium following his induction into the team’s Hall of Fame.

“I don’t want you to take this organization for granted,” Vrabel said during a speech that reportedly irked executives with the Titans months before his eventual firing. “I’ve been [to] a lot of places, this is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, and great coaching. Enjoy it, it’s not like this everywhere.”

Vrabel is expected to be a top target this offseason thanks to his reputation as an intense, defensive-focused head coach who posted strong results during his six seasons as the Titans’ head coach.

Vrabel posted a 54-45 record with the Titans before being fired after a 6-11 season in 2023.

He took the Titans to the playoffs three times — beating New England in the 2019 AFC Wild Card round before making it all the way to the 2019 AFC Championship Game. 

While the Patriots are reportedly set to interview both Johnson and Vrabel in the coming days, New England is seemingly not wasting any time when it comes to speaking with other potential coaching candidates.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have already conducted interviews with former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and longtime NFL assistant coach Pep Hamilton.

Leftwich, who played quarterback for nine seasons in the NFL, served as Tampa’s OC during the 2020 season when Tom Brady and Co. led the Bucs to a Super Bowl title. Leftwich has been out of the league for the last two seasons, with Tampa Bay’s offense currently run by Liam Coen.

Hamilton has had several posts across the NFL, last serving as the Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator in 2022.

As noted by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Hamilton has plenty of experience working with young quarterbacks — including current Patriots QB Joe Milton III during the lead-up to the 2024 NFL Draft. He was also the offensive play-caller with the Colts from 2013-15, working alongside Indy QB Andrew Luck.