The 2025 offseason should be an interesting one. According to the Athletic's Dianna Russini, former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is expected to be the preferred candidate for many franchises when it comes time to fill their head coaching vacancies.
Culture builders are expected to be hot coaching commodities this offseason as vacancies open up, writes @DMRussini.
— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) November 16, 2024
And the name receiving the most hype right now is former Titans boss and current Browns assistant Mike Vrabel.
🔗 https://t.co/qfhRHRuiaZ pic.twitter.com/Hg22qKK6n3
Vrabel amassed a 54-45 record with the Titans over six seasons and won two playoff games, both during the 2019 postseason. The Titans surprised many by pivoting from him following the 2023 season. Since then, Vrabel has worked as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns.
As Russini puts it, teams are looking for culture-setters, and Vrabel certainly fits that mold. As a hard-nosed, versatile linebacker and occasional tight end, Vrabel won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. Over a storied NFL career, he played in 206 games for three different teams, amassing 57.0 sacks, 762 tackles, and 10 receiving touchdowns.
The NFL is a copycat league, and Vrabel is the spitting image of Dan Campbell, the head coach of the Detroit Lions. The Lions are the sport's current big success story: they won their first playoff game in over 30 years last season and have opened this season an NFC-best 8-1. Campbell played 10 years as a blocking tight end with the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and the Lions.
Vrabel had a respectable run with the Titans, and NFL history is rife with head coaches who didn't truly hit their strides until their second stint. Vrabel's former mentor, Bill Belichick, flamed out with the Cleveland Browns before finding success with the Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was fired from the Philadelphia Eagles despite a 130-93-1 record in his 14 seasons with the team. Those two coaches went on to win nine Super Bowls between them.
Vrabel would make sense for a team willing to take its time to establish a winning foundation. Vrabel is only 49 years old and could have decades of coaching left in him, and he should be afforded the opportunity to nurture a young organization into maturity. The New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, and New Orleans Saints are all teams expected to look for new head coaches in 2025. He may end up with his pick of the litter.
.jpg)
Post a Comment