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Vrabel's Son to Play for Former Titans Assistant

Tyler Vrabel, a tackle out of Boston College, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons, led by former Tennessee assistant Arthur Smith.

David Boclair

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Mike Vrabel made it known last week that he had no desire to coach his son in the NFL.

As it turns out, though, the Tennessee Titans head coach knows exactly what kind of coaching Tyler, an offensive tackle out of Boston College, will get.

Tyler Vrabel was not selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, which ended Saturday. Shortly after it ended, though, he signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons, according to multiple reports. With Atlanta, he will play for former Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

The Falcons have added a number of players with Titans connections this offseason, including quarterback Marcus Mariota, linebacker Rashaan Evans and tight end Anthony Firkser.

Tyler Vrabel is a secondary connection. 

When Mike Vrabel was hired in 2018, Smith was one of the few coaches from the previous staff he retained. Smith was tight ends coach in that season (the same job he had under Mike Mularkey) and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019. The Falcons hired him away as their head coach last year.

The younger Vrabel (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) was a three-year starter in college who showed the type of versatility Tennessee typically covets. He played left tackle in 2019 and 2021 with a season at right tackle in between. In all, he started 33 of the 35 games he played, allowed seven sacks and was flagged for 11 penalties.

He declared for this year’s draft despite the fact that he had at least one remaining year of eligibility. Dane Brugler of The Athletic rated him 26th among all available tackles. Some believe he could be better suited to play guard in the NFL.

“It’s taken me a lot of years to be more dad than coach, and I’m trying to do a much better job of that,” Mike Vrabel said. “And I feel like I have.

“Excited for him to see where his next opportunity will be, and [I] try to support him any way I can.”

Now, he knows exactly what that opportunity is – and who it is with.

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David Boclair
DAVID BOCLAIR

David Boclair has covered the Tennessee Titans for multiple news outlets since 1998. He is award-winning journalist who has covered a wide range of topics in Middle Tennessee as well as Dallas-Fort Worth, where he worked for three different newspapers from 1987-96. As a student journalist at Southern Methodist University he covered the NCAA's decision to impose the so-called death penalty on the school's football program.

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