Bill Belichick Doesn't Hold Back On The Patriots Hiring Mike Vrabel

01/14/2025 09:35 AM

For the second year in a row, the New England Patriots have hired a former player as their head coach. The decision to hire Jerod Mayo this season may have backfired, but the team believes that Mike Vrabel is the answer as they continue to rebuild.

Vrabel is returning to the organization that he won three Super Bowls with as a player, and he's tasked with filling the shoes of his former head coach, who also happens to be one of the greatest coaches of all time in Bill Belichick.

Belichick, who will be taking on a new job of his own at North Carolina this year, reacted to Vrabel being hired by the Patriots this offseason.

"I have a ton of respect for Mike, I think he does a great job, he prepares his teams well, they're very good in situational football, they're tough, they're competitive, they're smart, just as he was as a player," Belichick said about Vrabel during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

"I love Mike, I love everything that he stands for as a football coach. I have a lot of respect for him. I'm sure he'll do a great job."

Vrabel is taking the Patriots job after a one-year break from having a head coaching position. Prior to the 2024 season, he was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans for the previous six years, making three playoff appearances.

He defeated Belichick in one of those appearances, taking down the Patriots on the road at Gillette Stadium in what turned out to be Tom Brady's final game with the team.

Vrabel is now tasked with helping the Patriots turn their fortunes around after the end of the Brady/Belichick era. The team has a new franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, and his development will be a major part of the Vrabel era.

The Patriots also have the No. 4 pick in this year's NFL Draft. We'll see if Vrabel and the front office keep the pick and try to land a franchise player in the draft, or if they trade down for more draft capital as they look to accelerate the rebuild.

Vrabel enjoyed a great career in New England as a player, and Patriots fans are hoping that he has the same level of success as the team's head coach.

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