Why Patriots' Mike Vrabel reached out to fired Brian Callahan ahead of Titans clash

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel knows a little bit about what Brian Callahan experienced this week. 

The Tennessee Titans fired Vrabel in January 2024 after he spent six seasons in charge, while the Titans dismissed Callahan this past Monday after he compiled a 4-19 record in fewer than two full campaigns with the organization. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Vrabel confirmed that he reached out to Callahan following Monday's developments. 

Mike Vrabel thought it was "important" to reach out to Brian Callahan

"I don't wanna see anybody that shares a job with [me] get let go," Vrabel said about the gesture, per Mike Kadlick of Sports Illustrated. "That's a tough feeling, with family and school. Whether it's in college or pro, like we're in the media every single day and there's a human element to this that I don't wanna forget. I just remember all those coaches, or people, that reached out after I was let go. I think that that's important. Because nobody texts when you lose. They all text when you win. So it's a good reminder."

This likely was always going to be a unique week for Vrabel regarding the debut season of his New England tenure, as he's preparing to make his return to Tennessee as a head coach for the first time since his firing. As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the 4-2 Patriots as 6.5-point road favorites for this coming Sunday's matchup at the 1-5 Titans. 

What Mike Vrabel is telling Patriots players about possible revenge spot

Much has been made throughout the week about whether or not the Week 7 showdown at Nissan Stadium is a "revenge spot" for Vrabel. On Wednesday, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye insisted that Vrabel is working hard to ensure his players view the Titans as "another opponent" that New England needs to knock off to remain atop the AFC East standings. 

"Ignore some of the noise," Maye said about the message players have received from Vrabel heading into Oct. 19, according to Karen Guregian of MassLive. "Ignore some of the noise of him going back to a place he coached at, of us having some success and getting put on a hype train with the success we’ve had. It’s time for us to keep proving it week in and week out. That’s been our main focus. Keep going, ignore the noise, and know that if we keep playing like this, we’ll have a real shot when it’s time for the playoffs to come. But that’s a long ways away."