“Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson are still considered the Patriots’ top priorities with their head coaching search,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe posted on the X platform Saturday night. “Vrabel still feels like the favorite, but Johnson is very highly regarded after an impressive interview. The Patriots appear to be in a good spot with their process.”
The Lions offensive coordinator is drawing plenty of interest this hiring cycle. Johnson is viewed as one of the top candidates. He is reportedly very selective about which teams he meets with, and the Patriots made the shortlist, along with the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders.
With Detroit in the playoffs, if the Patriots decided to hire Johnson, New England would have to wait until the Lions are eliminated from the playoffs. The Patriots reportedly want to move quickly in their head coaching search, which could make Vrabel more attractive by default.
Vrabel was considered the front-runner for the open position in New England even before the Patriots fired Jerod Mayo. If Robert Kraft is unwilling to take a chance waiting for Johnson to become available, Vrabel, along with his ties to the franchise, makes the most sense.
