How likely is a Vrabel and Patriots reunion? Curran and Breer’s share information originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Would the New England Patriots seriously consider acquiring head coach Jerod Mayo after just one season?
Any discussion around that topic should include another question: What would be the plan after Mayo’s farewell?
As speculation about Mayo’s future has increased following his apparent call-up from Arizona offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt on Sunday, one coaching candidate being mentioned is former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, who currently serves as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns after the Tennessee Titans fired him in January 2024.
Is there a realistic chance the Patriots want to replace Mayo with Vrabel in 2025? In Tuesday’s episode of Arbella early editionPatriots Insider Tom E. Curran and Albert Breer of The MMQB broke down the many dynamics at play — starting with ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky hinting that Vrabel could return to his alma mater, Ohio State, to take the head coaching job to take if the Buckeyes fire Ryan Day.
“I would never say never, because it was kind of the same with Jim Harbaugh, where he said, ‘No, I’m not going back to college,’ and then the alma mater (Michigan) asked often enough if they could get him got,” Breer said, as seen in the video player above. “And maybe things go bad for (Ohio State) on Saturday.
“There is a good chance that (Vrabel) returns to the NFL, and I would also tell you this: I think he is at or near the top of the list of the three teams that currently have openings.”
So Breer believes the New York Jets, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints — all of whom fired their coaches midseason — are all planning to pursue Vrabel this season. And if the Patriots want to change coaches, Curran says Vrabel would seriously consider returning to the franchise, where he won three Super Bowls as a player from 2001 to 2008.
“Mike Vrabel would be interested in coaching for the New England Patriots,” Curran said. “I think he looks at the Patriots, despite the warts they’ve shown, and says, ‘I’d go back there.’
Breer then added that wherever Vrabel goes, he would try to implement a completely new regime with him.
“I think he has a real idea of what it should look like and what he would like it to look like in the future,” Breer said of Vrabel. “I think he would bring a general manager with him. It would probably be (former Titans director of player personnel) Ryan Cowden. I think he might have had an offensive coordinator in mind (Browns passing game specialist and tight ends coach) Tommy Rees, who’s with him in Cleveland, maybe (ex-Patriots offensive coordinator) Josh McDaniels.
That would leave the Krafts with a dilemma: Give Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf another chance with a (hopefully) improved roster in 2025, or blow it up by hiring Vrabel and his favorite staff.
As tempting as hiring Vrabel may be, Curran is still skeptical that the Krafts will pull the plug on Mayo after just one season given their support for (and investment in) the former Patriots linebacker.
“Given what I know about how the Patriots have felt about Jerod Mayo all season, they were so firmly in his corner that I would imagine they haven’t gotten out of his corner significantly enough to hint that they’re moving on from him,” Curran added.
However, if the Patriots’ dysfunction continues over the final three games – starting with Sunday’s game against the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills – the tension will only increase at Mayo.
Watch Curran and Breer’s full discussion with Early edition host Trenni Casey in the video player above.
