With the 2023 NFL season officially over for the majority of the teams in the league, a number of head coaches have started to lose their jobs, with teams that underperformed not wasting any time in making changes to their coaching staffs.
Perhaps the most surprising head coach to get relieved of his duties this week was Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans, widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the NFL.
Although there was some speculation that the New England Patriots could try to bring Vrabel back to replace legendary head coach Bill Belichick in a trade with the Titans, things never got that far, with Tennessee not hesitating on their decision to part ways with him.
With everyone wondering why Vrabel was fired, even though the Titans finished the season without a playoff berth and a record of 6-11, general manager Ran Carthon and team owner Amy Adams Strunk tried to give some clarity on the situation on Tuesday, via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
In terms of any possible issues between head coach and GM, Carthon shot down that notion.
As for why Mike Vrabel was fired, Ran Carthon says owner Amy Adams Strunk spoke to that, regarding her vision for the long-term future. https://t.co/9ZSji2QfWD
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 9, 2024
With Vrabel now a free agent and able to control his own fate as a head coach in the NFL, the situation in New England gets that much more interesting, as he’s the ideal candidate to replace Belichick and now the Patriots don’t have to give up assets to trade for him.
Currently, there’s no telling what the immediate future holds for Belichick, as he has yet to be relieved, and there’s been no statement as to what the team’s intentions are moving forward.
NEXT: Fans React To Today’s Mike Vrabel News