Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Ranked Surprisingly Low

The New England Patriots made several moves this offseason to help get the franchise back on track, and back to playing in the postseason, which they haven't done since the 2021 season. They signed a litany of defensive stars in free agency, bringing in Super Bowl standout Milton Williams from the Philadelphia Eagles, former Detroit Lions cornerback Carlton Davis and former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane. On top of that, the Patriots brought in Stefon Diggs to be the No. 1 target for second-year quarterback Drake Maye.

Of all the Cchanges the Patriots made this offseason, though, none were as big as firing Jerrod Mayo after one season and hiring former Tennessee Titans head coach, and former Patriots linebacker, Mike Vrabel to be the new head coach in New England. Vrabel had a terrific tenure with the Titans, leading Tennessee to the AFC Championship Game in 2019, as well as securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC in 2021. He was surprisingly fired following the 2023 season before spending a year on the Cleveland Browns' staff, and now makes his way back to the Patriots, where he won three Super Bowls as a player.

With that in mind, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports ranked every head coach in the NFL ahead of the 2025 season, and put Vrabel right in the middle at the No. 16 spot.

"Is the former Patriots linebacker a solid bet after a mostly directionless Jerod Mayo dalliance? His zesty approach as a former Titans leader suggests as much," Benjamin writes. "Still, Tennessee never quite escaped its reputation as an old-school offense under his watch. This marriage looks promising on his preferred side of the ball thanks to new personnel, but Drake Maye's growth is the real X factor."

This feels a bit low for Vrabel, who has proven he can lead lesser rosters to greater heights than they have any right reaching. Putting him below someone like Mike Tomlin, at this stage, feels like a lifetime achievement award for the Steelers' head coach rather than being ranked on recent success.