The 2025 NFL offseason is around the corner, and it appears that one of the top potential coaching candidates on the market is looking to get a jump on the field.
That would be former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. The 49-year-old spent the 2024 NFL season serving as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns, but his contract with the team expired on Dec. 30, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
As a result, Vrabel is no longer employed by an NFL team. That makes him eligible to start interviewing for head coaching positions immediately.
Vrabel posted a 54-45 record during his six years with the Titans and routinely helped the team exceed expectations. Notably, he led Tennessee to the AFC’s No. 1 seed during the 2021 NFL season with an offense highlighted by Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry. He had enduring success creating cohesive defensive units.
Vrabel’s combination of experience and leadership should make him a coveted coaching candidate. Where might his best fit be? Here’s a look at Vrabel’s top landing spots as the NFL’s ‘Black Monday’ approaches.
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Mike Vrabel landing spots
New England Patriots
Are the Patriots going to make Jerod Mayo a one-and-done head coach? NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported ahead of Week 17 that the team’s Robert Kraft-led ownership group ‘wants to keep’ the man that they tapped as Bill Belichick’s successor.
‘They believe he is the leader for the organization for the future, and they knew it would be a multi-year process to get this thing right,’ Rapoport said before also acknowledging, ‘Now if things go off the rails, if they really start to struggle and he loses the locker room the last couple games of the season, we’ve seen this thing turn. But as of now, the Patriots believe Jerod Mayo is their leader for the future.’
The Patriots lost 40-7 to the Los Angeles Chargers at home in Week 17. Will that be enough to change Kraft’s mind? It remains to be seen, but the air of dysfunction around the Patriots seems to be growing.
If the Patriots move on from Mayo, what better way to replace him than Vrabel? Essentially, Vrabel would provide a proven version of what New England hoped to get in Mayo: a quality coach and leader with playing experience with the Patriots who could ease the transition away from Belichick, a coaching legend.
Chicago Bears
The Bears sported one of the best defenses in the NFL in the second half of the 2023 season after acquiring Montez Sweat ahead of the trade deadline. Despite the team’s collection of young talent, that success did not carry over under Matt Eberflus in 2024.
Vrabel could better utilize that young talent and scheme a way to turn the Bears into a top defense. Chicago already has some blue-chip players in Sweat and Jaylon Johnson, and Vrabel would likely be able to help build on the early-career success enjoyed by Kyler Gordon while leveling out the inconsistencies in Tyrique Stevenson’s game.
The only hitch in getting Vrabel to the Bears is that Chicago might prefer an offensive-minded coach to pair with 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. Even so, Vrabel’s leadership skills should draw him interest from a Bears squad desperate for direction. That’s why NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero listed him as a ‘name to watch’ in Chicago’s coaching search.
New York Jets
Like the Bears, the Jets fired their previous coach midseason and may prefer to hire an offensive-minded coach after employing a defensive-minded one. That said, Vrabel would be well-positioned to help New York maintain the defensive success it enjoyed at times under Robert Saleh. The Jets thrice ranked sixth or better in yards allowed under Saleh but only once had an above-average scoring defense.
Vrabel could clean up some of those issues allowing points. He may even be able to help Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams and Co. reach another level defensively. The only question is what Vrabel’s plans for the offense would look like as the Jets’ hire may hinge upon their decision to roll with 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers for another season or plunge into the great unknown at quarterback again.
Either way, Vrabel would provide the Jets with some stability, which the team has been noticeably lacking in recent years.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints have spent the better part of the post-Drew Brees era as one of the NFL’s middling teams. They repeatedly delayed their massive cap hits, and the bill is finally due.
With that in mind, the Saints need a few things during the offseason: a plan, direction and leadership. Vrabel would give that to them on the field, as he could focus on rebuilding New Orleans’ once-proud defense back into a quality stop unit.
Would Vrabel be willing to go to a rebuilding squad without an answer at quarterback after struggling to find a franchise guy in Tennessee? Perhaps, but if given multiple choices, the Saints may not be at the top of his list.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars haven’t had an above-average defensive unit since 2018, midway through Doug Marrone’s tenure as head coach. Vrabel would represent a nice change of pace for the franchise and could finally get the unit to play well and cohesively again, as it did early in Marrone’s tenure.
Joining Jacksonville would also give Vrabel a chance to exact revenge on Tennessee twice a year. That could make the Jaguars a desirable landing spot for the coach.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys may keep Mike McCarthy after their solid late-season surge, but his contract is up after the season. If Dallas wants to get a seasoned coach to help replace McCarthy – who posted three 12-win seasons before the team fell off in 2024 – few available coaches would be better than Vrabel.
Vrabel would undoubtedly get the most out of Micah Parsons while already having an established offense to trust. The Cowboys would likely catapult to the top of this list if they have an opening.