The New England Patriots may have dashed the hopes of the fans by knocking off the Buffalo Bills in Week 18 to drop from the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to No. 4, but they followed that up with something that pleased most fans. Jerod Mayo was fired from his position of head coach.
Mayo had started hearing “Fire Mayo” chants during games and the fans very vocal on social media about wanting him gone.
While it has to be tough for him to swallow after just one season as the Patriots’ head coach, it was the right move for the franchise. It had become clear that the fit simply wouldn’t work out.
Now, New England will be searching for its new head coach. There is one head coach in particular that the Patriots have to bring onboard.
Mike Vrabel has been connected to New England in recent weeks and the two parties are a match made in heaven. The Patriots want a head coach who can come in and create a championship culture, which is exactly what Vrabel would be able to do.
During his tenure with the Tennessee Titans as their head coach, he ended up compiling a 54-45 record and he led the team to three playoff berths in six years. In 2019, he even led the Titans all the way to the AFC Championship Game.
At just 49 years old, there is a very good chance that Vrabel could end up becoming the next longtime head coach for New England. He could be around for many years to come.
One big change that he would bring immediately would be to expect excellence from his players and put an end to the in-house drama. Mayo fed the drama by talking too much and too openly with the media. Almost every week it seemed, Mayo would say something controversial.
Also, Vrabel is an elite head coach when it comes to putting players in the best position for success.
With the Patriots being somewhat of a rebuilding team, they need a coach that fits that plan and can build from the ground up. Vrabel is experienced and he’s capable of doing the job.
Robert Kraft has to get this hire right. Vrabel’s past ties with New England is a major plus and there have been rumors that Josh McDaniels could come back to the Patriots as well as offensive coordinator under Vrabel.
Regardless of whether or not that’s true, Vrabel has proven himself to be a head coach capable of helping build a franchise. New England needs that and he’s the right coach to bring that to the table.