With the 2025 coaching carousel not viewed as especially deep, the chances of Mike Vrabel slipping through the cracks for a second straight year appear slim. Vrabel joins Lions HC Ben Johnson as the top candidates in this year’s pool, and multiple teams are being tied to the former Titans leader.
The Raiders have not fired Antonio Pierce, but that will be considered. If the team pulls the plug on Pierce after one season as full-time HC, Vrabel should be considered on the radar. Plenty around the NFL believe Vrabel would be the Las Vegas frontrunner if the team did fire Pierce, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Considering Vrabel and Tom Brady‘s past, it would not surprise if this became a landing spot to closely monitor.
For a minority owner, Brady appears set to hold substantial power in Vegas — both with regards to the team’s HC and QB searches — despite his role as a broadcaster. While Brady’s announcing gig could cause issues ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Mark Davis is prepared to lean on the all-time QB great during a pivotal offseason. Brady and Vrabel played together in New England for eight years, and Breer adds the ex-quarterback’s appearance at a Raiders practice late last season — when he was not yet a part-owner — signaled to some Vrabel would be on the team’s radar for the 2024 season.
As it turned out, no one hired Vrabel this year. Though, the Chargers are believed to have viewed him as their Jim Harbaugh backup plan. Vrabel, 49, closed out his consulting run with the Browns on Monday. His Cleveland contract expired, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, freeing him up for HC interviews before season’s end. Vrabel’s contract having this particular expiration date certainly points to the free agent coaching candidate wanting to explore an NFL return, and although a return to Ohio State surfaced recently, the former linebacker’s alma mater may well not have a job opening at season’s end.
Regardless, Breer adds Vrabel is leaving the Browns on good terms, as the sides separating now would allow Vrabel to conduct in-person interviews for HC positions before his competition. All coaches who are tied to other teams must wait until divisional-round week to begin meeting with teams, but unattached coaches can begin interviews for vacant jobs at any point. The Raiders do not have a vacancy presently, but other teams who do figure to be interested in Vrabel.
The Saints are one of three teams who can interview coaches now, having fired Dennis Allen weeks ago, and Breer adds Vrabel is on Mickey Loomis‘ radar. The 23rd-year GM is believed to be safe and free to run another coaching search. The Saints went with an in-house option to succeed Sean Payton, though the latter had not previously worked with Loomis when he was hired in 2006. Considering Allen’s struggles, Loomis casting a wider net this time around makes sense.
While interim HC Darren Rizzi is well-liked, it would be rather surprising if the Saints went with a second straight in-house promotion given the issues they have had since Payton left. Joe Brady having worked as a Payton assistant for two late-2010s seasons could be of note if the Saints prefer familiarity again, but the second-year Bills OC may have options as well. Lions DC Aaron Glenn, who coached the Saints’ DBs before heading to Detroit, is expected to factor into the team’s HC search prominently as well.
With a good owner and GM, Vrabel is a great option, meaning the Jets and Raiders should look elsewhere.
Mark Davis is going to defer to whatever Brady says moving forward, so I’m not sure if the Raiders previous track record plays much into anything. Of course, there is also no guarantees that Brady will be a great decision maker. Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player ever, but possibly one of the worst owners ever. I guess it depends on if Vrabel believes in Tom, or not.
Davis will still have the ultimate say. Now he can blame Brady when his decisions go poorly…
Vrabel would be an amazing get for the Saints but I doubt he’d want to go to Nola
I like his fit there better than in Vegas. Harbaugh, Reed, and Payton make for a formidable coaching trio to play against (I am of course assuming the upside for Harbaugh here, but he’s still more proven than Bowles, Morris, or Canales in the NFC South).
He should be the Browns front runner. But they will need idjits in charge don’t appear to be going anywhere. Sigh…..
Stefanski is a good coach….the Browns owners are complete morons
I could see Vrabel as the Raiders frontrunner because of the Brady-Vrabel New England connection, that might make it hard for him to pass up the Raiders head coaching job. The salary cap situation might make it hard to land an up and coming coaching prospect for the Saints, they may have to settle for one of the other recycled ones, but they’re not that bad (Pete Carroll, Ron Rivera). I do think it would be a bad career move on Mike McCarthy’s part to leave Dallas for New Orleans, but I could see him leaving Dallas out of frustration for making him sweat it out through the whole season unsigned for 2025. Coaches don’t go through the same free agency process as players, he could just go become the new head coach someplace like Jacksonville.
I haven’t really thought much on the possibility of Pete coming to New Orleans because I haven’t seen anything connecting him to the job. However, I have always felt Pete is a great coach, and I love the idea of it.
I want to preface what I am about to say; I think Carr is a solid QB. I’m a fan of Carr. I recognize he needs help around him though, and to be in the right scheme. Carroll did that with Russ for years. So, that’s a fit. Those Seattle teams had some great defenses, too. New Orleans needs the help there.
I’m not enthusiastic about the idea of Rivera in New Orleans, and I mean at all. McCarthy would be a good hire, but I don’t see him leaving Dallas.