Former Steelers Player Named Favorite for Patriots HC Job

A former Pittsburgh Steelers player could fill the New England Patriots' head coach opening.

Dec 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel reacts after a play during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Mike Vrabel is among the most sought-after head coaching candidates during the current NFL hiring cycle, and it appears that a front-runner has emerged for his services.

The Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard believes that Vrabel has a 90% chance of landing with the New England Patriots, whom scheduled an interview with him for this Thursday.

“I think there’s a 90% chance that Mike Vrabel is the next head coach of the New England Patriots,” he said on his self-titled Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast.

Vrabel's first job in the league came as the linebackers coach for the Houston Texans from 2014 to 2016. He was promoted to the team's defensive coordinator in 2017 before being hired away by the Tennessee Titans and filling their own head coach opening.

During Vrabel's tenure in Nashville from 2018 to 2023, the Titans compiled a 54-45 record while making the playoffs in three-straight seasons from 2019 to 2021, the former of which included a Cinderella run of sorts to the AFC title game while the latter netted him the Coach of the Year Award.

Despite all of his early success with the team, he was fired after Tennessee went 13-21 in his final two years there before opting to take on a consulting role with the Cleveland Browns in 2024.

While franchises such as the New York Jets have registered interest in Vrabel, his rumored preference for the Patriots job should come as no surprise.

Beyond the fact that New England has an abundance of cap space and a potential franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, Vrabel spent eight years as a player for New England while helping it win three Super Bowls.

The Patriots are in need of a coach who can set a strong culture in addition to laying a winning foundation, and there simply aren't any candidates out there better suited to do so than Vrabel.

He began his career as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers after the team selected him in the third round of the 1997 draft out of Ohio State. Vrabel's production was relatively sparse with the black and gold, however, posting 56 total tackles, seven sacks and three forced fumbles across 51 games in four seasons.

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