Mike

Vrabel

Vrabel, currently working as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns, was canned by the Titans after two down years. Russini notes that the culture builder archetype of coach are expected to be hot commodities this offseason. With lots of jobs expected to open up and Vrabel’s desire to coach, conditions should allow him to have options for his next stop. He was 54-45 in six years at the helm of the Titans.

Per The Athletic’s Robert Mays, the plan is for Vrabel “to act as a sounding board for Kevin Stefanski.” The Titans fired Vrabel after two disappointing seasons despite him having an impressive body of work with the team as a whole. He received numerous head coaching interviews after being let go but couldn’t land any of them. A year working with the Browns, likely on the defensive side of the ball, will allow Vrabel to rehab an image that hardly needs it in the first place. Assuming all goes well for him in Cleveland, Vrabel will get head coaching considerations again next offseason.

Vrabel is currently meeting with Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank about the team’s head coaching job on Wednesday and then flying to Carolina. The Panthers have also interviewed defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris for the job.

The Falcons have now interviewed Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick twice, while also having a second interview for Jim Harbaugh and a first interview with Bobby Slowik lined up for Thursday. They’re certainly casting a wide net, but the choice of Mike Vrabel would be an interesting one since his former offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, was the head coach recently fired by the Falcons.

The news comes amidst growing smoke that the Falcons have settled on Bill Belichick as their next coach. That is all it is at this point, however: Smoke. Perhaps this is a way to prod Belichick in negotiations. Belichick has long been one of the highest-paid coaches in the history of organized sport. Perhaps he is driving a hard bargain. Vrabel’s market has finally picked up after a quiet first week, as he has also been connected to the Chargers and Seahawks.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Seahawks and Falcons are also interested in Vrabel’s services. Vrabel’s first known talk since he was cut loose by the Titans nine days ago is at least the Chargers’ 14th (!!) interview request. It’s a smart one, of course, with Vrabel instantly joining Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh as the most qualified candidate in the field. Like Harbaugh in San Francisco, Vrabel seemed to have been let go in Tennessee more for personality than success reasons. It is inarguable he would bring a far higher level of professionalism and Xs-and-Os diligence than the man he would be replacing, Brandon Staley. The Bolts have to get this right as they look to avoid wasting Justin Herbert’s peak years.

Vrabel, 48, is done in Tennessee after back-to-back losing seasons. Vrabel’s Titans went 13-21 over the past two years after they were 41-24 in his first four regular seasons with the team. Hired in 2018, Vrabel oversaw a conservative, run-first Titans team that made a Super Bowl run in 2019 with Ryan Tannehill under center. Tannehill’s red-hot play fell off in the subsequent years and a once-vaunted Titans defense proved vulnerable. Uneven play from rookie QB Will Levis in 2023 wasn’t enough to save Vrabel’s job. He’ll surely land elsewhere as a head coach this offseason as the Titans start from scratch in what will likely be a painful years-long rebuild.

Anderson’s specific post read, “League source to me just now on whether they feel Titans head coach Mike Vrabel continues with the organization amid questions about whether everyone’s on the same page & the direction of the future, they just said in their opinion, ‘I’d call it 50/50 right now.’” It’s an oddly worded post, but it appears Vrabel’s return to the Titans is a legitimate toss-up at this point in time. The two sides are expected to meet in the near future to hammer out what the plans for Vrabel and the team will be heading into 2024, but a disappointing 6-11 season for a team that’s rapidly approaching a rebuild could be enough for the Titans’ front office to consider a complete overhaul.

After beginning his tenure in Tennessee with four consecutive winning seasons, Vrabel fell to 7-10 last year and sits at 5-11 heading into Week 18 this time around. Per Pelissero’s sources, Vrabel has not approached Titans brass with any concerns about the structure of the organization. We would hope so given that he seemingly won a power struggle with former general manager Jon Robinson late last season. Vrabel’s contract reportedly runs through the 2025 season with a team option for the following year. With Vrabel not calling his team’s management into question and no one doubting his acumen as a coach, it’s hard to see the two sides parting ways, even after a pair of disappointing seasons. Expect Vrabel to return for another run at the AFC South in 2024.

Russini shot down any loose talk about Patriots owner Robert Kraft trading for Vrabel this offseason as the Patriots possibly move on from Bill Belichick. “Based on multiple conversations with high-ranking Titans officials, the franchise strongly and collectively believes it has the right coach for long-term success,” Russini said. Vrabel could be coaching a rebuilding Titans team for the foreseeable future. The team is evaluating Will Levis as a potential long-term starter and will one day (soon) have to move on from their antiquated Derrick Henry-based offense. Vrabel would do well to usher modern NFL football into Tennessee this offseason.