Report: Buzz Growing For Mike Vrabel To Take Over AFC Team
Mike Vrabel is positioned to seek a new NFL head coaching job this offseason.
Despite leading the Tennessee Titans to four straight winning seasons and three consecutive playoff appearances, Vrabel got fired after they went 6-11 in 2023. The 2021 Coach of the Year is expected to be a popular name in the upcoming hiring cycle.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Vrabel is a "prime candidate" to land a head coaching job for the 2025 season. The insider identified the Las Vegas Raiders as a potential landing spot.
The Raiders already have New England Patriots ties that could make the three-time Super Bowl champion a sensible fit. Two of Vrabel's former teammates, Tom Brady and Richard Seymour, officially became minority owners this year.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Head coach Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans looks on during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images
No Raiders head coach has lasted five straight seasons with the organization since Art Shell in 1990-1994. They've already turned to three different coaches since Jon Gruden resigned during the 2021 campaign, and Antonio Pierce's tenure could also prove short-lived.
Las Vegas hired Pierce after he led the team to a 5-4 finish in place of Josh McDaniels last year. However, the Raiders are 2-11 with an active nine-game losing streak and the AFC's worst point differential (-125).
Mark Davis could potentially replace one former linebacker with another by courting Vrabel. The 49-year-old is spending the season as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns.
If the Raiders make another change, the new head coach should have a high draft pick to select a new quarterback. Pierce has played Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell, and Desmond Ridder under center this season.
ESPN identified the Dallas Cowboys as another possible fit for Vrabel, who'd give Jerry Jones an experienced alternative to Mike McCarthy. The Chicago Bears also have a vacancy to fill after firing Matt Eberflus following a Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions.
