One of the most intriguing names on the Chicago Bears’ list of interview candidates for their head-coaching vacancy is already off the board.
Mike Vrabel is going home to the New England Patriots.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport broke the news (and ESPN’s Mike Reiss colors in some of the background and explains how we got here):
This is my shocked face upon seeing this news…
Mike Vrabel played eight seasons with the Pats, won three Super Bowl titles, earned a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro nod while with the team, and is a member of the franchise’s Hall of Fame. Vrabel to the Pats is as surprising as seeing the sunset in the west.
What’s next for the Bears after Mike Vrabel goes to the Patriots?
On the one hand, it stings a little to see one of my favorite Bears head coach targets land with another team. And quickly, too. On the other hand, I understood that Mike Vrabel coming to Chicago was unlikely as soon as the New England Patriots fired Jerod Mayo and opened up that job. Even after receiving a strong endorsement from a current Bears player, a homecoming for Vrabel (who played for the Pats from 2001-08) that has felt inevitable is happening. So I am not all that hurt about this news. I am ready to move on and discuss other candidates.
After hanging up his playing cleats, Mike Vrabel has taken to the coaching ranks and his star has been on the rise from the get-go. Vrabel coached linebackers and defensive linemen at Ohio State (2011-13), was the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans in 2017 (after coaching linebackers from 2014-16), and had a solid run as the Tennessee Titans head coach from 2018-22. There is little doubt that Vrabel will do a good job in New England. At a minimum, I expect the Patriots to do more to put Vrabel in a position to win than they did for Jerod Mayo (another ex-Pats star turned head coach) before his firing.
From purely a Bears perspective, the biggest takeaway from this news is that the Patriots are officially out of the Ben Johnson sweepstakes. This does not mean that Chicago’s football team is in the clear to hire the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator. Johnson has taken interviews with the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that could make a strong pitch for his services. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders have emerged as a threat to hire Johnson after firing their head coach and general manager this past week. The Bears have as good of a chance as anyone to reel in Johnson, but I am very much in wait-and-see mode on that front.