Report: Patriots Closing in on Mike Vrabel

The New England Patriots and Mike Vrabel are reportedly in active contract negotiations.
Dec 17, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel reacts after a defensive stop during the first half against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium.
Dec 17, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel reacts after a defensive stop during the first half against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium. / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
In this story:

It sure sounds like the New England Patriots are closing in on hiring a new head coach. Mike Vrabel appears very likely to be the guy that lands the job.

Now, a new report has come out that strengthens that expectation.

According to a report from Nicole Yang of The Boston Globe, the Patriots and Vrabel are currently in "active negotiations" on a deal that would make him the new head coach in New England.

"The Patriots have entered contract negotiations with their lead head coaching candidate Mike Vrabel, according to a league source," Yang wrote.

"Although a deal has yet to be finalized, Vrabel remains the favorite for New England’s head coaching opening after interviewing Thursday."

Should the two sides not be able to work something out, Yang shared what the future would hold.

"If Vrabel and the Patriots are unable to come to an agreement, then New England’s search would require much more time given the limited scope of their process so far and the league’s rules surrounding interviewing employees of teams still in playoff contention."

Vrabel would be a big get for the Patriots. He has been the guy that Robert Kraft and company have seemingly targeted since before they even formally fired Jerod Mayo after just one season.

Landing Vrabel would be a big step in the right direction for New England. He knows how to build a culture, as he was able to do that with the Tennessee Titans. Vrabel also is an elite head coach when it comes to leading players and putting them in the best position to succeed.

The Patriots hiring Vrabel would be yet another homecoming hire. He was a star linebacker for New England during his playing career.

While the Patriots interviewed other candidates, including Ben Johnson, Vrabel has been the clear front-runner from the very beginning. Nothing has changed with that fact and it sounds like the two sides are working to hammer out all of the details to make things official.

Expect to hear more in the near future. Nothing is done yet, but things are clearly trending that way.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!


Published
Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.