That’s the position the Patriots find themselves in with Mike Vrabel, arguably the top head coaching candidate in 2025. Vrabel is out of New England’s league entering the offseason. The Patriots would not be anywhere close to the most attractive landing spot if they were to move on from head coach Jerod Mayo.
Vrabel, though, reportedly is interested in the Patriots.
“Mike Vrabel would be interested in coaching for the New England Patriots,” Patriots insider Tom E. Curran said on NBC Sports Boston on Tuesday, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston. “I think that he (Vrabel) looks at the Patriots, and despite the warts, says, I’ll go back there.”
Vrabel, a senior consultant for the Cleveland Browns, is likely to hear from every team with a coaching vacancy. If you want to argue Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is a better candidate, feel free. But Vrabel, who unlike Johnson actually has experience at the helm of an organization, nevertheless is atop the group.
Let’s make one thing clear, too: This would not be firing Mayo just for the sake of doing so. This would not be the same as moving on from one first-year head coach in hopes the next one doesn’t struggle as much. That would be another dice roll, and arguably not the smartest long-term move.
The hiring of Vrabel would say just as much about Vrabel as it does about Mayo.
The 2021 Coach of the Year, after all, is established. He has a proven track record (54-45) while getting less talented teams to play hard. If Mayo’s undermanned Patriots were competing the way Vrabel’s undermanned Titans did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Mayo would have solidified his standing as head coach.
But he hasn’t.
Instead, Mayo’s team looks underprepared week after week. New England routinely gets out-coached and failed to show many (if any?) signs of improvement since Week 1. No culture has been built through the first 15 weeks either. It’s actually turned out to be the opposite with complete dysfunction from Patriots president Jonathan Kraft criticizing the offensive play-calling and Mayo throwing offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt under the bus.
It might be hard to attract an offensive coordinator to replace Van Pelt, should the Patriots go that route. Mayo undoubtedly will have a warm seat if he does return next season, and that fact coupled with Mayo’s public sentiments about Van Pelt probably will turn some candidates off from New England. Keeping Mayo and firing Van Pelt might be the worst option for the group.
But Vrabel, well, he isn’t the same. He’s better. He’s proven. He’s been successful. He can establish a culture and connect with players. Those are all reasons why Vrabel should’ve been a candidate in 2024, despite Robert Kraft’s succession plan for Mayo.
The Patriots don’t have another prom. They have one chance to make up for their oversight when they were a young and dumb junior. If they don’t do it, settling for their comfort could be something they regret after graduation.
