Latest Patriots Update All But Confirms Their Next Head Coach

As the New England Patriots are set to tab a new coach to right their aimless post-dynasty ship, the latest reports are seemingly revealing who the choice might be.

On Saturday morning, Dianna Russini reported that "the Patriots are pushing for a quick resolution to their [head coaching] search" and a decision is expected this weekend.

Reading between the lines – should the Patriots decide this weekend, that all but guarantees that Mike Vrabel will be New England's 16th head coach.

Vrabel was head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023, leading the Titans to a 54-45 record and three playoff appearances. He led Tennessee to the AFC Championship Game in 2019 and was named the NFL Coach of the Year in 2021.

As a player, Vrabel spent eight years with the Patriots and won three Super Bowls during the first half of New England's dynasty.

New England has interviewed four candidates for their head coaching vacancy. In-person interviews were conducted with Pep Hamilton, Byron Leftwich, and Vrabel. Meanwhile, Johnson interviewed virtually for the position.

Johnson and the Lions are still in the midst of their postseason preparation after securing the top seed in the NFC. The 38-year-old offensive coordinator is the hottest name in coaching searches and received significant interest last offseason before opting to return to Detroit.

The sequence of events in New England's coaching search heavily favors Vrabel. The Patriots interviewed Hamilton and Leftwich – both of whom are minority candidates and both of whom have not coached in the NFL since 2022. New England received some criticism for their selection of Hamilton and Leftwich.

NFL teams are required to conduct at least two in-person interviews with two external diverse candidates. Teams are also not permitted to conduct in-person interviews with external candidates until the conclusion of the divisional round. Therefore, most observers arrived at the logical conclusion that the Patriots chose Hamilton and Leftwich due to their unemployed status, which accelerated New England's ability to become Rooney Rule compliant.

By becoming Rooney Rule compliant, the door is wide open for Vrabel to be hired. If the Hamilton and Leftwich interviews were conducted with the sole purpose of fulfilling the Rooney Rule – and it feels far-fetched that Johnson would be hired after a lone virtual interview – all indications are pointing to Vrabel if reports about a decision this weekend are true.

The dance between Vrabel and the Patriots dates all the way back to Oct. 2023, when Vrabel returned to Foxborough to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Vrabel was seen sitting with New England owner Robert Kraft's luxury box - a visual that raised eyebrows across the NFL given Vrabel's then-status as Titans head coach.

During that trip, the three-time Super Bowl champion stated that "we" have a game to win when referring to the Patriots, and was incredibly complimentary of New England's operation during his halftime speech – while also throwing some shade at the rest of the NFL:

"I don’t want you to take this organization for granted. I’ve been 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."

- Mike Vrabel on Oct. 22, 2023

Following his firing in Jan. 2024, there were reports suggesting Vrabel's behavior during that trip potentially factored into his firing.

Last offseason, the Patriots hired Jerod Mayo without interviewing any other candidates due to a clause in Mayo's contract. If the Krafts hired Vrabel this offseason and he fails to deliver, their all-out blitz to hire Vrabel and not give adequate consideration to other candidates will be an easy second guess.

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