New England Patriots - NESN.com
Mike Vrabel returns home to lead the New England Patriots in 2025. The head coach recalled getting pursued by another AFC East squad.
Following a year away from coaching, Vrabel was in high demand during the offseason’s hiring cycle. The former All-Pro linebacker ultimately chose his former team, replacing Jerod Mayo as the franchise’s 16th head coach following a 4-13 season.
Luckily, the Patriots don’t have to worry about facing Vrabel twice this season. The former Tennessee Titans coach interviewed with the New York Jets before landing New England’s job.
Vrabel mentioned the division opponent when The Athletic’s Dianna Russini asked if any other team enticed him during his job search.
“Being able to visit with the Jets was very intriguing and interesting,” Vrabel said in a “Scoop City” interview released Sunday.
It’s unclear how seriously Vrabel ever considered joining the Jets. Multiple reports claimed he was using New York as leverage for another position. The Patriots fired Mayo two days after the Jets interviewed Vrabel.
Vrabel also mentioned his meeting with the Chicago Bears, who hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson after Vrabel took New England’s position.
“In the end, I think this was just the right choice at the right time,” Vrabel told Russini of coaching the Patriots.
The 2021 Coach of the Year said Bill Belichick previously offered him an assistant coaching job, but he instead decided to work for former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien with the Houston Texans from 2014 to 2017.
Although Vrabel didn’t see New England as the right fit a decade ago, everything aligned for a reunion this offseason.
“We had a conversation, and then I ended up going to Houston,” Vrabel recalled. “I felt like that was the best thing for me at that time to go there and learn from Bill O’Brien. Which I did. I learned a lot, and he helped me prepare for the opportunity at Tennessee … When the time was right, it all worked out.”
