Opinion: Patriots' interest in Titans' Mike Vrabel is nothing but a pipe dream
NASHVILLE — According to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is more than just on the radar of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Vrabel is said to be Kraft’s “home run choice” for replacing Bill Belichick as the Patriots’ next head coach. The passing of that torch could be coming […]
NASHVILLE — According to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is more than just on the radar of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Vrabel is said to be Kraft’s “home run choice” for replacing Bill Belichick as the Patriots’ next head coach. The passing of that torch could be coming as soon as after this season.
Some people say "where there's smoke, there's fire." But in this case, I think this fire would get put out before it ever has a chance to burn.
Vrabel, a former Patriots linebacker from 2001-2008 and recent inductee into the team’s Hall of Fame, has a documented relationship with Kraft that remains strong to this day. Just last month when Vrabel was honored in Foxborough and inducted into the Hall of Fame during the Titans’ bye week, the internet took off and ran with a picture of Vrabel spending time with Kraft in the owner's box.
I can’t say I blame Kraft for targeting Vrabel. Replacing the legendary Belichick with a franchise great and established head coach that has a multiple playoff appearances and a Coach of the Year Award on his resume is much far appealing than rolling the dice in the coaching carousel do the first time since 2000.
But at this point, Kraft’s coveting of Vrabel is nothing more than that: Coveting. Vrabel signed an extension with the Titans in February of 2022 that is supposed to keep him in Nashville for “years to come.” While the exact terms of Vrabel’s deal are not known, his status with the team is really all that matters.
It’s not like New England would be able to just hire Vrabel away. If Kraft really wants to get his guy, he’d have to trade draft capital for him.
Take Sean Payton this past offseason for example. The Denver Broncos sent a 2023 first-round pick (No. 30 overall) and a 2024 second-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for Payton and a 2024 third-round pick.
Payton had taken a full year away from professional football, been the figurehead for a major scandal, and the Saints were happy with Dennis Allen’s 2022 performance as a rookie head coach…And they still landed a first-rounder for the rights to negotiate with Payton. That doesn't even include Payton's contract from Denver, which is rumored to be valued at over $90 million over five years. Can you imagine what the Titans would be looking to land for Vrabel?
Amy Adams Strunk made a big commitment to Vrabel when she fired GM Jon Robinson last December and decided to give Vrabel more power when it comes to making personnel decisions. Current Titans GM Ran Carthon was hired to be a new voice and collaborative partner with Vrabel, not the sole decision maker.
I’d imagine Strunk still wants Vrabel to be the leading the team out of the tunnel when the Titans’ open their new stadium for the 2027 season. So Kraft can call Amy Adams Strunk all he’d like…It’s just not going to happen.
Moving on from Vrabel may sound appealing to some Titans fans right this moment. The team is 3-5 and pacing to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season. But once he’s gone, I think most would realize the grass isn’t always greener. Finding the right head coach that maximizes player output and is beloved in the locker room is a battle that 80 percent of NFL teams fight constantly. The Titans have that guy in Mike Vrabel.
So yes, he is stubborn. Yes, that it is infuriating at times. Yes, he will eventually have to adapt from his old-school mentality if he wants to win a Super Bowl. But the Tennessee Titans are a brand that is continually gaining steam nationally because of the consistent culture Vrabel instills in his football team. He deserves a chance to (at least) work with Carthon for a few years, recover from the roster purgatory Jon Robinson left the team in, and get this team back in contention in the AFC.
Luckily, Amy Adams Strink is not dumb. I believe she realizes Vrabel’s true value and knows that her grass is pretty dang green at the moment. I’d be beside myself if Vrabel was anywhere other than Nashville in the near future.
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