Rumored to have Mike Vrabel high on their list of prospective head coaches, the Jets have an important meeting set up for today. They will meet with the former Titans HC at their facility, The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt reports.
Vrabel’s consulting contract with the Browns expired this week, giving him the ability to meet with teams at any point moving forward. Candidates who are still tied to teams are not yet permitted to conduct interviews — either virtually or onsite. Vrabel can as a coaching free agent, and he will take advantage of that status.
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Vrabel, 49, has become expectedly popular on what is considered to be a thinner coaching carousel. A mid-December report tabbed him as the Jets’ preferred candidate. Since, he has been tied to the Patriots, Raiders and Saints. While the New England job is believed to be one he would strongly consider, the Pats are not committed to making Jerod Mayo a one-and-done. The Raiders have also not committed to firing Antonio Pierce, but Vrabel’s past with Tom Brady — the broadcaster/minority owner who is expected to play a lead role in the AFC West team’s offseason — has tripped alarms across the league regarding a potential fit.
The Browns recruited Vrabel to help out this season, as both sides learned from the other party’s differing style. Vrabel aided the analytically geared organization both in practice and on gamedays, with Rosenblatt indicating the former Titans HC began traveling to Browns road games around the midseason point. Vrabel worked with both Cleveland’s tight ends and offensive line, transitioning to the latter area during the year. Browns brass also picked Vrabel’s brain regarding personnel.
Rumors about the Jets needing to overpay to obtain a high-end HC candidate have surfaced. Woody Johnson‘s meddling became perhaps their defining 2024 story. The owner made his voice known in personnel matters regularly, from firing Robert Saleh without consulting GM Joe Douglas, to interceding on trades and free agency matters. Madden-based decisions involving his teenage sons became the most memorable component of an eventful year for the Jets owner, who is part of an HC hiring process for the first time since 2015, having previously served in Donald Trump’s presidential administration.
Johnson is not expected to return to the Trump administration, calling his role with the Jets into question. Vrabel clashed with Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk during the final stretch of his Titans tenure and may have multiple offers, giving the Jets a potential uphill battle to fight given Johnson’s involvement. They are, however, not committed to building their next power structure around a GM or a head coach. Given Vrabel’s stock, he may need a notable voice in personnel matters to take a job.
Roster control loomed as one of Vrabel’s issues with Adams Strunk, and Rosenblatt adds HC interviews last year involved teams questioning if he could effectively collaborate with a GM. The Jets having yet to hire a GM would stand to work in Vrabel’s favor.
“There’s got to be clear communication with ownership, so that we understand as coaches what the expectations are,” Vrabel said, via Rosenblatt. “That’s so we can explain to them what’s reasonable, what we can do, what we probably can do and what we’re going to try to do — or die trying. I want to have a structure in place that people see the game the same way I do from an X’s-and-O’s standpoint, from a personnel standpoint, with team-building. We would hopefully have that alignment, which is critical.
“And I would like to be able to say that there’s a quarterback that you feel like you can win with — or that there’s a path to find the one that you can win with.”
Vrabel will follow Ron Rivera in interviewing with the Jets, who have regularly hired defensive-minded HCs (Saleh, Todd Bowles, Rex Ryan and Eric Mangini among them) during Johnson’s ownership tenure. Arthur Smith is also believed to be in play for the job, but unattached names will have the first shot at speaking with the team, which must eventually meet with two external minority candidates to satisfy the Rooney Rule.
You’ve gotta believe that even if he’s offered the job, he’s gonna wait and see what other teams may be an option. That job can’t be at the top of his list.
I mean maybe, but hes not the top HC candidate either. He might be in the top 5 choices, but the top OCs are gonna be sought after first. Its a league that heavily favors offense
For every team with a young QB that’s probly true. I would also put the Jets at or near the bottom of the list of desirable HC jobs.
Theres only so many HC jobs tho. Theres going to be maybe 7-8. When you account for all the top OCs and DCs from established teams, i dont believe Vrabel is exactly topping the lists. The Lions have two that are likely to become HCs any day now, Bucs’ Liam Coen, BFlo, Joe Brady, K. Moore, T. Monken
What Vrabel has is prior experience at HC, but hes a defensive HC and one that was even all that successful. I do like Vrabel personally in interviews tho
Well, it’s gonna be interesting to see how this unfolds. With the right OC, Vrabel could be great in say, Jacksonville. If they ever get that defense to a top 10 level (He did that in Tennessee), it would really benefit that young QB. But it hinges on the OC with him. The Titans made the playoffs with Lafleur and then Arthur Smith, but when Smith left, they fell to .500. I think Vrabel fits the “leader of men” thing, and is well liked… If there are 7-8 openings, he’s gonna get interviews with most of those teams. I think the Jets is just the first one for him…
The Jets job can’t be lower than the Oakland job (his relationship with Brady notwithstanding), that franchise is just as bad. I think it depends on whether he wants to go somewhere that has no answer at QB. The Jets at least have a lot of pieces on both offense and defense. I can see Vrabel wanting AR for one more year so he can draft a QB of his own to sit behind Rodgers while taking a shot at winning next season with Rodgers. I think Caleb Williams and Chicago is more compelling but other than that the Jets have the most win ready roster of the teams with an open HC spot.
Ummmm…..The Raiders owner doesn’t judge players based on video games and makes in-season horrible choices. All of the current teams that are looking for a HC have no solid answer at QB next year. And yes I am aware of Caleb Williams.
Same for Jags. Trevor hasn’t even come close to living up to the hype train.
I’d have to say Mark Davis is in the bottom 5 of NFL owners, so not exactly Woody Johnson but close to him… not a good look nor a good comparison
Mark Davis is in the bottom 5 of NFL owners. I am curious as to how you determined this.
The 2024 NFL player report card listed the Las Vegas Raiders with all B-A+ across the board, with an overall score of 9 out of 32. The Dolphins’ Stephen Ross and the Vikings’ Zygi Wilf were the only owners to get an A+. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, the Steelers’ Art Rooney II and the Cardinals’ Michael Bidwill all received an F- grade.
If you have anything else that counters this and shows that Mark Davis is a bottom 5 owner, I am very interested to read what you are basing this off of.
Maybe it’s the part where he never did a thing in his life except wait for his dad to die?
Maybe it’s the Shemp haircut?
Maybe it’s the part where he’s such a star F’er that he was willing to sell pieces of his team under value just to be near Brady?
But I guess you have a “report card” that proves that the Chiefs and Steelers are the real dumpster fires, so…there’s that.
All due respect to a barber (and a fine barber at that, making the league cutie Mark Davis look so handsome every week), it’s the W-L and repeated coaching zig-zags, hiring brand name flops like Gruden and McDaniels, hiring TV analysts as the GM.
Brady changes the dynamic; he has the gravitas to let Davis be a passenger on these decisions he’s been flubbing. But 20-year W-L is the sign of bad ownership. Raiders haven’t done much since Barret Robbins went on his Tijuana bender.
Thank you, I am glad someone appreciates the due diligence and constant effort it takes to make someone look so manly. Believe it or not, his ultimate goal is to rock the Fabio cut but I don’t see it.
Jon Gruden was seeing improvement every year, even with a city change. He went from 4-12, 7-9, 8-8, 3-2 with a criticism for a KC victory lap due to the bus driver talking smack.
Mark Davis is hardly the only NFL owner that inherited the team. Micheal Bidwell, Marion McCaskey, Mike Brown, Sheila Ford, Janice McNair, Jim Irsay, Clark Hunt, Dean Spanos, Gayle Benson, Mara and Tisch, Art Rooney II, Jed and Denise York (there a story), Jody Allen, Bryan Glazier, and Amy Strunk all join Mark Davis as owners that fell into ownership.
Since Barret Robbins went on his Tijuana bender the Raiders have made tremendous changes. In 2002 the Raiders were the 29th ranked team as far as overall value, in 2024 the Raiders are listed at 7th. They have changed and upgraded cities, stadium, front offices, and training facilities. As the NFL discovers new financial streams of revenue from gambling, the Raiders now call the globally second ranked city home. (Macau is 1st) Sorry that Pittsburgh and KC are not primer destinations, and the owner entertains “Stars” that might be influential to the NFL future.
As far as using a “Report Card” for stats, at least its statics with a known baseline and not a gut or emotional reaction. Just like if someone was going to change companies or programs for work, I would hope that they did some base line research.
I’d still take a place where I’ve got a better roster. Jets have a lot more pieces.
bowser… The Bears and the Jags (if they fire their HC), won’t be making QB changes. And both of those QBs will be reasons why HCs will want those jobs.
Wonder if he brings Ryan Tannehill with him to compete for a starting gig or serve as a backup who knows the system. If they hire Vrabel they should hire Jon Robinson. I think Robinson n Vrabel did a decent job in Tennessee all those years. Him and Vrabel would make a pretty good GM HC reunion in NYJ.
Honestly as much as people laugh at the idea of Rex Ryan coming back any GM HC for the jets has to navigate the personality that is Woody Johnson and Rex actually seemed to be able to manage Johnson whereas guys that have come after him haven’t seemed to be able to keep woody out of things.
Please hire Rex Ryan and retain Rodgers so we can all be entertained.
If he’d take the job I’d hire him in a second but I doubt it’s his first choice. Woody Johnson is impulsive even in big situations. Just an unstable place to be
Give Rex another chance, how bad could it be?
Rex, Rex, Rex!
Still find it hard to believe anyone can love the game so much that they’d coach for this franchise
I don’t know why anybody with any foreseeable HC opportunity would take this job. Yeah, it’s 1 of 32. But you’ve got Woody Johnson fingering your pie, taking his directions from Beavis & Butt-Head.
This job is for Rex Ryan or Mark Trestman
I suppose Vrabel getting hired by the Jets will be determined by how well he plays Madden football.
After what he went thru in Tenn, there is no way in hell he takes the Jets job. The Jets are going to have a tough time convincing any top candidate to take their job because of the owner.
Shouldn’t they hire the GM first? And then the GM should interview and hire the coach.
It’s the Jets. They prefer to freestyle these decisions (which explains the current situation).
The Seahawks hired Pete Carroll first, then worked with him on the GM search hiring Schneider. That worked out.
Would it work for the Jets? Well, they’re the Jets
Most overrated coach on the market. Relied on Henry his whole career… on top of that why would anyone really wanna coach that dumpster fire organization? I mean other than it’s one of 32 availibilities. It’s literally 32/32 none worse.
To be fair, he did more with the middling QBs he was given than most coaches would have. A coach is only as good as the players the GM brings on.
Henry was a big reason those QB’s even had a chance though.
Vrabel turned the Titan defense into a top 5-10 unit. Yes, they had Henry, but that unheralded defense was a major reason they even got to the playoffs.
Vrabel is more overrated than Dennis Allen, Kliff Kingsbury, or Matt Nagy? All of those guys are on the market.