Jerod Mayo lasted exactly one season in Bill Belichick’s legendary shoes. Hours after winning just their fourth game of the season, Mayo was fired from the coaching job in New England. So, who’s going to take over the reins of the Pats from Mayo? Former Pats TE Rob Gronkowski thinks Mike Vrabel might be up next.
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The Gronk appeared on ‘NFL on FOX’ to discuss the firing of the Pats HC. While surprised by the sudden firing, Gronk thinks owner Robert Kraft already has someone in mind he’s hoping to bring to New England:
“Obviously Mr Kraft didn’t see Jerod Mayo being that culture builder that he was hoping to be over the last season, and obviously Mr. Kraft has a plan as well going forward. Probably hoping to get Mike Vrabel. There’s some rumblings out there that Josh McDaniel might come back too as offensive coordinator.”
"Obviously Mr Kraft didn't see Jerod Mayo being that culture builder that he was hoping to be over the last season, and obviously Mr. Kraft has a plan as well going forward." @RobGronkowski shares his thoughts on the Patriots parting ways with HC Jerod Mayo after one season pic.twitter.com/arQvt02M2p
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 5, 2025
After enjoying 24 years of stability with Belichick, the Patriots are yet again on the hunt for a head coach. And Vrabel seems like the most obvious option. It seems like they practically scrambled to create a vacancy in New England for Vrabel.
After his coaching and personnel consulting contract with the Cleveland Browns expired on Monday, the 49-year-old became one of the most sought-after candidates in this year’s coaching hiring cycle.
Vrabel, coincidentally, is also a Patriots Hall of Famer.
With a proven track record as Head Coach, Vrabel brings experience to the table that Mayo didn’t really have. One of Kraft’s concerns about Mayo was apparently his “ability to tactically manage the staff, and build a program.” This concern wouldn’t exist with the former Tennessee Titans HC.
Vrabel built a reputation in Tennessee out of getting the most out of his players. He achieved a 54-45 record over six seasons with the Titans and played a crucial role in leading a Ryan Tannehill-led team to the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021.
He is expected to instill the tough mentality in New England and a sense of direction that they seem to have been lacking for a while now. But Vrabel will have his options.
New England right now has one of the least talented rosters in the NFL. Their depth chart is desperate for help and lacks the top-tier talent that they had for years when they enjoyed all that Super Bowl success. Would Vrabel be willing to overlook his ties with the team and land on a team with a more established roster and a more stable environment?
