League Executives Think Patriots Already Have Next Coach Hiring Decided

The already bleak Patriots season took an even darker turn on Sunday as New England defeated the Bills to lose the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Immediately after the game, the Patriots announced the firing of head coach Jerod Mayo, kickstarting a search.

Since then, the most circulated name in New England's coaching search is former Patriot Mike Vrabel. The three-time Super Bowl champ and former All-Pro linebacker Mike Vrabel is considered to be the frontrunner for the position. In fact the Boston Sports Journal's Mike Giardi reported that league executives believe that it's Vrabel's job to lose.

NFL Rumors: Patriots Widely Expected to Hire Mike Vrabel

This makes a ton of sense and is not particularly surprising. Any team with a head coaching vacancy would be smart to interview Vrabel. Along with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, he is arguably the most sought-after coach on the market. It was also recently reported that Vrabel would be interested in the Patriots job.

Vrabel was the Tennessee Titans' head coach for six seasons, leading them to four winning campaigns, three playoff appearances, and one game away from the Super Bowl in 2019. His success with limited rosters made him a highly coveted head coach in the NFL.

Surprisingly, the 49-year-old wasn't able to land a coaching gig in the 2024 offseason, opting to join the Browns staff as a consultant. Things in Cleveland didn't go according to the plan, and Vrabel is now ready to return to the sideline.

It has been reported that Vrabel interviewing with the New York Jets put pressure on the Patriots to fire Mayo. Robert Kraft presumably didn't want to lose the franchise icon and the eight-year Patriots veteran to the Jets. It's hard to imagine him hiring anyone else but Vrabel at this point.

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