Not surprisingly, the Patriots decided that after a few years of neglect, their go-to man to put the shed in order was the one who knew the house best. Mike Vrabel therefore returns home.
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The Patriots confirmed late this morning that their former linebacker was hired as the 16th head coach in franchise history.
If he was a choice of the Steelers in 1997, it was in New England that his career took off with three Super Bowl conquests as one of the generals of Bill Belichick’s defensive brigade.
After his career, Vrabel quickly rose through the coaching ranks, becoming the coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018 until his surprise firing a year ago.
The Patriots, who trusted Jerod Mayo as head coach to succeed Belichick, fired him after a single season of four wins and 13 losses last week. As soon as the interview with Vrabel was announced, we suspected it was in the bag.
A logical choice
Photo d’archives, AFP
Team owner Robert Kraft always remained close to Vrabel and couldn’t resist hiring him to right a rudderless ship. In 2023, he even inducted him into the team’s Hall of Fame, even though he was still leading the Titans.
Since the departure of Tom Brady in 2020, the Patriots have only had one winning season and have not made the playoffs since 2021. They have not won a playoff game since their last Super Bowl, at the end of the 2018 season.
The roster is riddled with holes and while there is a solid foundation in place with quarterback Drake Maye, cornerback Christian Gonzalez and tackle Christian Barmore among others, there is a lot of work to be done .
The good news is that Vrabel has a good reputation and will be able to attract big names to Foxborough. His CV, both as a player and as a coach, doesn’t lie. He is truly respected across the league.
In four of his six seasons in charge, the Titans showed a winning record. They made the playoffs three times and won the South Division championship twice. Since his departure, the Titans have experienced a precipitous and dizzying fall.
He arrives at the Patriots with full knowledge of the facts. He knows the inner workings of the organization inside and out. He enjoys the absolute confidence of the general staff. He is adored in New England.
He is clearly from the Belichick school, with a more modern touch in the way he communicates with his players. He is only 49 years old and could theoretically hold the position for a long time.
A good situation
Right now, it’s the total honeymoon in Foxborough. Any other hire would have been criticized. Fans wanted to see Vrabel come home, just as many Montrealers dream of the day when Patrick Roy would lead the Canadiens.
Vrabel becomes the eighth individual to coach an NFL team for whom he previously played. The others are Jerod Mayo (Patriots), Bart Starr (Packers), Forrest Gregg (Packers), Art Shell (Raiders), Jeff Saturday (Colts), DeMeco Ryans (Texans) and Jason Garrett (Cowboys).
The fact remains that looking coldly, few of them have had real success as pilots. The difference is that Vrabel has already proven himself elsewhere.
One thing is certain, he will have every chance of leaving his mark quickly. The Patriots hold the fourth pick in the upcoming draft. Could do-it-all player Travis Hunter be available? Will they strengthen their offensive line? Or did they salivate watching defensive end Abdul Carter destroy everything with Penn State in this NCAA playoff series?
That’s not to mention the fact that they should have $133.5 million available under the salary cap. That’s an NFL high.
Not everything is settled with the Patriots, but fans clearly have reason to hope for better days soon. The hiring of Mike Vrabel is possibly the first step towards their return as a significant franchise.
