
When Mike Vrabel returned to Nissan Stadium, he made sure the Tennessee Titans were embarrassed. His New England Patriots did just that, coming out on top, 31-13.
A few weeks later, the Titans seemed to get a bit of revenge. While they didn't necessarily have any difference making players the Patriots were interested in, a report surfaced that Tennessee wasn't going to interact with New England at the deadline.
The Titans trade deadline was rather quiet, as was the Patriots. In the end, Titans fans recently learned that the stained relationship with Vrabel prevented any trades from ever occurring with New England.
The juiciest story of the NFL trade deadline? That the Titans reportedly wouldn’t trade with the Patriots yesterday at the NFL trade deadline because…Tennessee’s owner had ill will about the end of Coach Mike Vrabel’s tenure there. The Patriots had been interested in RB Tony… pic.twitter.com/4hYI60KGgI
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) November 5, 2025
Even if the Titans pulled off an upset and beat the Patriots, this still would've been the result. Vrabel is building a dynasty in New England, and it's one the Titans want no part of. Tennessee has gone through plenty of changes since they parted ways with Vrabel, a decision many still fans wish they hadn't made.
Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal reported, "I was also told there has been some conversation league-wide that Tennessee might be unwilling to make deals with New England because the owner, Amy Adams Strunk, continues to think too much about how things ended with Vrabel and is not inclined to help his new team."
Analyst Rachel Nichols added, "Reportatedly the Titans, who are in sell mode, weren't wiling to do business with the Patriots. According to one report, Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk, she did not want to make deals with Mike Vrabel because of how Vrabel's tenure ended in Tennessee."
The #Titans DID NOT pass on any attractive offer from the Patriots in favor of something else.
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) November 5, 2025
AAS deserves to be blasted for plenty. We don’t need to add stuff that did not unfold. https://t.co/FoGIEBmhjx
At the end of the day, there are always going to be rumors floating around. Not all sources are reliable, and that's something that Kuharsky wanted to put on blast. He gave his two-cents on the situation, one that has taken center stage as the Titans are on a bye.
"The Titans DID NOT pass on any attractive offers from the Patriots in favor of something else. AAS deserves to be blasted for plenty. We don't need to add stuff that did not unfold."
That was in response to his original post, "I don't think the Patriots stuff is true. Titans took best offers they got, which is what you should want them to do."
Ultimately, fans were left upset with their lack of moves at the deadline. Numerous outlets were reporting how active the Titans were in the trade market, yet only a pair of defensive players were moved for little to nothing in return. At the end of the day, the Titans vs. Vrabel rivalry continues to heat up which at least gives fans something to look forward to.
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