Report: Mike Vrabel is interested in returning to the Patriots to replace Bill Belichick
"He’s interested in the idea of returning to the Patriots."
The Titans (6-11) did not fare much better under Mike Vrabel than the Patriots (4-13) did under Bill Belichick this season.
So, there’s a chance both teams could move on from their respective coaches.
If that’s the case, Vrabel, who was recently inducted into the Patriots Hall-of-Fame, has interest in returning to New England to replace Belichick, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.
“As the Titans weigh HC Mike Vrabel’s future this week, he’s interested in the idea of returning to the Patriots, should New England part ways with Bill Belichick,” Schultz wrote on X, which was formerly known as Twitter.
NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero said bringing Vrabel in would make sense for the Patriots. Pelissero noted that Vrabel’s contract extends through 2025 and has an option for 2026. He also mentioned that Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk has not publicly commented on Vrabel’s status.
“If Vrabel did become available, though, league sources expect there would be a robust market,” Pelissero said. “Among other teams, the Patriots — who inducted Vrabel into their Hall of Fame in October and ignited speculation when Vrabel was spotted watching the game from owner Robert Kraft’s suite while Tennessee had its bye — potentially could have an opening soon and would be a logical landing spot.”
Pelissero also included this nugget from former Patriots executive Mike Lombardi:
“Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, who worked for the Patriots and has close ties to Vrabel mentor Bill Belichick, said recently on his podcast that there are “real issues” between Vrabel and the front office, adding: “They wanna keep Vrabel, but I think Vrabel’s not happy with the setup that he has.”
Belichick’s future remains uncertain. He said Monday that those decisions will be handled internally, and that there may be “series of meetings” coming up. He mentioned that he is under contract for next season and plans to approach the offseason the way he normally does.
“I’ll meet with Robert [Kraft] like I always do, meet with the staff, meet with the personnel department,” Belichick said. “Kind of recap the season, look at the big picture and then look at some of the individual situations that are looming one way or another. But, that’s obviously a long way off from where we are right now.”
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