Aug 25, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel shakes hands with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick after the game at Nissan Stadium. Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Right now, the focus around the New England Patriots is on the future of head coach Bill Belichick. That future is expected to be discussed in the coming days between Belichick and Patriots ownership.
Without even knowing whether Belichick will be back or not though, suitors may already be lining up for his potentially empty seat. That list includes a familiar name.
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According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, current Tennessee Titans head coach and former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel “is interested in the idea of returning to the Patriots, should New England part ways with Bill Belichick.” Vrabel is still employed by the Titans as of Monday morning, but after a 6-11 season is expected to have his own sit-down with ownership this week with his future up in the air as well.
Vrabel played the majority of his NFL career for Belichick, with the Patriots from 2001-2008. He later got into coaching and after coming up through the Houston Texans organization was hired as the Titans head coach in 2018. After a 9-7 season to start Vrabel’s Titans made the playoffs each of the next three years with a trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2019. That run had Vrabel in the conversation as one of the top young head coaches in the league.
However the Titans failed to keep their roster together, notably trading wide receiver A.J. Brown rather than re-signing him in 2022. That plus a lack of a solid plan at quarterback led Tennessee to go 7-10 and 6-11 the last two seasons, missing the playoffs in both.
