NFL fans know Mike Vrabel all too well these days, either from his playing tenure with the New England Patriots or, more recently, as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Vrabel has led the Titans for the past six seasons, taking Tennessee to the playoffs three times. Yet, he hasn’t been back to the postseason in either of the past two seasons and now Tennessee is set for a last-place finish in the AFC South.
A year ago, the Titans changed general managers, moving on from Jon Robinson after seven seasons with the team. Now, Ran Carthon is running the show, and according to NFL insider Michael Lombardi, there are “real issues” between Vrabel and the rest of the front office.
What’s interesting is that Vrabel’s contract expires at the end of the regular season, and there’s a sense Tennessee wants their head coach back in 2024, but is the feeling mutual?
“They really have some real issues. And the issues are: How good are they in the front office? And is Carthon and Vrabel going to be able to co-exist together? I think that’s gotta be something that’s talked about. I know Vrabel’s contract’s up. They wanna keep Vrabel, but I think Vrabel’s not happy with the setup that he has.”
Michael Lombardi on Mike Vrabel/Tennessee Titans
Vrabel is already one of the NFL’s highest-paid head coaches today, but if there is a schism in the front office, it’s possible he’s either seeking more control or an even better salary to stick around under new guidance. Or maybe he’s eyeing a chance to land back in New England if the Patriots move on from Bill Belichick. One thing is clear, if Vrabel did become available, he’d have no shortage of suitors.
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