Even before the New England Patriots fell to 3-13 on the season, numerous whispers suggested that Patriots owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft could replace first-year head coach Jerod Mayo with former Patriots player and one-time Associated Press Coach of the Year Award winner Mike Vrabel in January.
For a piece published Wednesday, Chad Graff of The Athletic explained why Vrabel “would become the heavy favorite for the job and the obvious place they’d start” if the Patriots part ways with Mayo next week.
“When the Patriots eventually moved on from [Bill Belichick last January],” Graff wrote, “Vrabel was interested in the job before learning it had already been earmarked for Mayo, whom Vrabel played next to in 2008. Now all signs point to Vrabel being interested in the Patriots job if it reopens. …As The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported Monday, Vrabel is expected to prioritize ‘a positive ownership situation and teams with either a quality quarterback in place or a path to getting one in the near future.’ The Patriots likely check both boxes for Vrabel.”
Along with having a relationship with the Krafts that includes being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame during the 2023 season, Vrabel may feel that New England has a long-term franchise quarterback on its roster in rookie Drake Maye.
Per Pro Football Reference, Maye heads into Week 18 ranked 17th in the NFL among qualified players with a 59.0 adjusted QBR for the season. Over his first 12 games (11 starts), he tossed 15 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions.
While it was first reported
back in December that Vrabel “would be interested in coaching” the Patriots if they fire Mayo, stories have also linked Vrabel with the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears. According to Jason Ounpraseuth of NESN, NFL/Patriots insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported this past Monday that Vrabel’s future will likely become “the fastest moving train on the coaching market.”
In short, Robert Kraft shouldn’t hesitate after New England plays its season finale versus the 13-3 Buffalo Bills this Sunday if he wants to replace Mayo with Vrabel. Interestingly, Graff suggested Kraft likely has already made up his mind about such a call.
“He’ll likely have a plan for the future even if a slew of interviews would be required,” Graff added about how Kraft could go from Mayo to Vrabel. “And the signs for that potential plan would point to a Patriots Hall of Famer who could return to Foxboro to try to restore the success he experienced as a player.”
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