Mike Vrabel is no longer the Titans’ head coach after six seasons, the team announced Tuesday, citing an effort to build more “aligned and collaborative” leadership at the top of the organization.
Vrabel, 48, is just days away from leading Tennessee to a victory over the AFC South rival Jaguars in Week 18, and the former Coach of the Year has led three appearances in the playoffs in his first four years on the job. But the Titans recently finished with a 6-11 record and missed the playoffs for the second straight year, raising questions about Vrabel’s future alongside general manager Ran Carthon.
“As I told Coach Vrabel, this decision was as difficult as any I have made as a controlling owner,” Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement from the team. ‘team. “I appreciate Mike’s contributions to the Tennessee Titans, on and off the field. Anyone who has ever met him knows how passionate and genuine he is, and he is a strong supporter of the Nashville community.
“As the NFL continues to innovate and evolve,” she continued, “I believe the teams best positioned for sustained success will be those that enable an aligned and collaborative team in all functions of football. Last year, we initiated a shift in our approach to football leadership and made several changes to our personnel to advance this plan. As I continued to evaluate the state of our team, I am came to the conclusion that the team would also benefit from the new approach and perspective of a new coaching staff.
The most notable change Strunk is referring to? The Titans’ hiring of Carthon, 42, after abruptly firing former general manager Jon Robinson during the 2022 season. Some had speculated in recent weeks that Carthon and Vrabel were at odds on the short or long term visions of the Titans, who are expected to part ways with notable veterans like Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry this offseason.
Vrabel, who was hired in 2018 after four years as an assistant with the Texans, went 54-45 in six seasons leading the Titans, including 11 consecutive winning seasons from 2020 to 2021. Vrabel also oversaw a surprise run to the AFC title game in 2019, where Tennessee fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs. He was just 13-21 over the last two years, alternating between Tannehill and rookie Will Levis at quarterback throughout 2023.
Where could Vrabel go next? Here are five potential contenders for 2024:
Los Angeles attempted to find the “next big thing” by signing Brandon Staley in 2021, banking on Staley’s intelligence and defensive experience. Now, they might be more inclined to bet on the “sure thing” on that side of the ball. Vrabel is a proven winner who has also proven capable of putting together an offensive team that maximizes the QB’s potential (see: Tannehill’s 2019 breakout), making them a potentially big-name duo for Justin Herbert and their playoff caliber roster.
There may be no team deploying a more high-profile search, with new owner Josh Harris bringing in former NBA executive Bob Myers and former NFL general manager Rick Spielman , to identify the best candidates. And from Vrabel’s perspective, there’s potentially no better place to start fresh, with Washington holding the second pick in the 2024 draft, along with a projected salary cap hit of $78 million, leading the league. Yes, the Commanders just relieved a defensive-minded coach, but Vrabel is still widely respected around the NFL.
This is the match made in heaven, according to many people around the NFL. Vrabel spent the majority of his playing career in New England, winning three Super Bowl rings under Bill Belichick. Now, with Belichick reportedly facing an uncertain future after 23 seasons on the job, Vrabel presents himself as a flawless successor to owner Robert Kraft. The question is: Will Belichick actually leave? And if so, when? It’s possible the Pats are looking to trade the all-time player; they should obviously do this before hiring his replacement.
Speaking of Patriots connections, what about Tom Brady connections? The longtime New England star is still tied to Las Vegas as a hopeful minority owner alongside majority shareholder Mark Davis, and it’s not hard to imagine him making an argument for that Vrabel adopts silver and black. Davis has obviously tried the Belichick tree before, and Josh McDaniels’ experiment backfired. But Vrabel is a different type of leader, on a different side of the ball.
If Mike Tomlin wants to stay, then there’s no discussion to be had here. But does Tomlin want to stay? Rumor has it that longtime coach might consider moving away of Pittsburgh – or the NFL in its entirety – after the playoffs. If that happens, Vrabel could be a prototypical successor. He began his playing career with the Steelers, embodies the franchise’s old-school mentality and could be a continuation of Tomlin’s defensive leadership.