Titans owner explained the decision to fire Mike Vrabel instead of trading him
"There’s a bit of misconception about a coach’s contract, say versus a player’s contract."
The Titans and Mike Vrabel: Despite leading the Titans to four consecutive winning seasons, including a run to the AFC Championship game in 2020, Mike Vrabel was fired by Tennessee on Tuesday.
The decision was met with surprise around the NFL despite the Titans’ recent downturn of consecutive losing seasons.
Vrabel, who helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls as a player during the 2000s, has been recently mentioned as a possible successor to Bill Belichick (whose fate as Patriots head coach remains to be seen).
Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk released a statement on Tuesday explaining her decision, citing the team’s 13-21 record since 2021. In addition, she claimed that Tennessee needed a new start.
“As I continued to assess the state of our team, I arrived at the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff,” Strunk wrote.
Later on Tuesday, Strunk sat down for a team-hosted interview.
Asked if the team had considered or attempted trading Vrabel, Strunk acknowledged that that had been a possibility.
“Yes there was,” she explained, “but there’s a bit of misconception about a coach’s contract, say versus a player’s contract.
“A coach’s contract, you can’t trade them unless they are a willing partner to that trade,” she continued. “So, yes, we thought about it but at the end of the day with league rules the way they are, it would have maybe put us back three weeks and you know honestly, to get the right head coach I was just not willing to go to the back of the line and take a chance of missing out on someone we really wanted.”
As a result of Strunk and the Titans’ decision, the Patriots are free to potentially hire Vrabel without having to give up any compensation to another team.
Belichick reminded reporters during his end-of-season press conference on Monday that he remains “under contract.” Should the Patriots decide to part ways with him, New England will face a similar choice as the Titans had with Vrabel.
Trivia: Mike Vrabel won the Big Ten’s Defensive Lineman of the Year award two seasons in a row in 1995 and 1996. Who is the most recent player to also achieve that feat?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: The first of the two years that he won was 2014, during which his team also won the national championship.
Scores and schedules:
The Bruins lost in overtime to the Coyotes 4-3 on Tuesday. Boston will be in Las Vegas to play the Golden Knights on Thursday at 10 p.m.
The Celtics face the Timberwolves tonight at TD Garden at 7 p.m.
And on Saturday, Boston’s PWHL team will be on the road to play Montreal at 3:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
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- NBA report admits incorrect call that led to Celtics’ loss to Pacers
- Will Mike Vrabel succeed Bill Belichick? What former Patriots, insiders are saying
- Mike Vrabel’s recent comments on Patriots worth revisiting after firing
- Bill Simmons pitches plan for how Patriots can land another first-round pick in 2024
- Aaron Rodgers reveals what he and Bill Belichick spoke about before Patriots-Jets game
- LeBron James says Jaylen Brown ‘clearly got hit’ in the back of the head during controversial Celtics finish
- Nick Caserio forcefully denied report about a possible return to the Patriots
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- Rob Ninkovich thinks jealousy was the reason for a recent report about Jerod Mayo
The latest “Dynasty” trailer: Another glimpse at Apple’s upcoming 10-part documentary series on the Patriot dynasty was released on Tuesday. The series will premiere on Feb. 16.
On this day: In 2015, the Patriots defeated the Ravens 35-31 in an AFC Divisional Round playoff game. It was a dramatic clash between two rivals, with New England rallying from two separate 14-point deficits.
The game was highlighted by Julian Edelman throwing a 51-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola on a perfectly executed trick play. The Patriots also flummoxed Baltimore with the usage of unorthodox formations, helping Tom Brady and the offense move the ball during the comeback effort.
Finally, with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Brady found Brandon LaFell on a perfectly placed throw for a 23-yard touchdown, giving the Patriots the lead for the first time in the game. New England safety Duron Harmon ended the Ravens’ ensuing drive, intercepting Joe Flacco at the one-yard line. And following Brady kneeling the ball three times to run the clock almost all the way down, the Patriots held on for the win after one final Baltimore heave into the end zone was swatted away by Devin McCourty.
Daily highlight: David Pastrnak made this incredible shot look easy. It was a shot that also appeared to compel a Bruins response to a local radio show over recent comments criticizing Pastrnak.
Trivia answer: Joey Bosa
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