“I’m Not a Conspiracy Theorist”: Chad Johnson Claims Mike Vrabel Knew Jerod Mayo Was Going to Get Fired

The New England Patriots entered the season with one of the league’s weakest rosters. Robert Kraft knew the reality all so well while entrusting Jerod Mayo with the franchise’s reins. However, after a dismal 4-13 finish, the Patriots have let the coach go earlier than expected. Now, New England is on the hunt for a new head coach, and Mike Vrabel has emerged as a frontrunner. Chad Johnson hinted at behind-the-scenes “tampering” while stating that Vrabel may have known in advance about Mayo’s dismissal.

“Mike Vrabel you put up the goddamn avatar of you in New England Patriots uniform, you knew what that meant. Listen, I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but he knew the job was his already. They have been talking. That’s tampering,” said Johnson on Nightcap.

Ocho felt the Kraft family didn’t give Mayo enough time to make his mark after hand-picking him to replace Bill Belichick. Co-host Shannon Sharpe chimed in, pointing out that even Bill went 5-11 with the same roster. And Belichick had received another year before getting the boot.

Shannon added that Kraft probably had to fire Mayo quickly in order to hire Vrabel. After all, the former Tennessee Titans coach is in high demand going into the off-season.

“He understood that if he didn’t hire Mike Vrabel now, he was never gonna get a chance to hire him again. Cuz Mike Vrabel is gonna get hired,” said Sharpe.

Hiring Vrabel does come with a lot of positives. To start with, he has a proven track record as head coach and shares a deep history with the franchise.

The Patriots, in turn, are an enticing prospect for the coach too. They have over $120 million in cap space and the 4th overall pick in the draft. They also have a potential franchise quarterback in rookie Drake Maye. Vrabel’s extensive connections across the NFL would help him assemble a quality coaching staff, including talented offensive coaches to help develop Maye.

However, Vrabel is a man in demand. Many franchises are willing to hire him and he has already been interviewed by the Jets.

Both parties, however, should approach things with caution. After his experience in Tennessee, Vrabel is unlikely to let sentimentality dictate his next move. Vrabel’s six-year tenure in Tennessee came to a surprising and abrupt end in 2024 due to what Dianna Russini of the Athletic called “Poor communication, misinterpreted statements, and misunderstandings.” With the Titans, Vrabel experienced a lack of control that he would want to avoid this time around.

And New England would offer him a prime opportunity to rebuild from the ground up, supported by a stable ownership committed to success. Vrabel’s strong relationship with Kraft would help as well.

Similarly, the Patriots should take this opportunity to broaden their search and carefully evaluate other options. It’s worth noting that New England hasn’t conducted an extensive search for a coach in 25 years thanks to the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era.

With a wealth of intriguing candidates available, the franchise could consider following the league’s growing trend of hiring young, innovative coaches. Someone like Ben Johnson, for instance, could be a compelling choice to lead the Patriots into a new era. However, Kraft seems to have his heart set on Vrabel.