Mike Vrabel joined the New England Patriots with a track record of sideline success, having guided the Tennessee Titans to the AFC Championship game during the 2019 season. However, the Titans decided to dump him two Januarys ago, leaving him on the open market, a decision that looks absolutely horrible in hindsight.
He served as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns before rejoining the Patriots, for whom he played linebacker from 2001-08. During his first year at the helm in Foxborough, the Patriots are 8-2, in the perch of the AFC East and currently own the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. According to NFL.com, New England has a 96 percent chance of reaching the postseason, the best in the conference.
Eleven other teams had their chance to hand their reins to Vrabel, including one that had two cracks at it. Let's rank each team's regret in ascending order.
Seattle Seahawks: Fired Pete Carroll, hired Mike Macdonald (17-9 coaching record with team)
With a 7-2 record — tied for the best in the NFC — Sam Darnold appears to be at home and the Seahawks look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders in Macdonald’s second go-round in charge. Seattle’s offense ranks No. 3 in scoring (30.6 points per game) and its defense is No. 5 in points allowed per game (19.1).
Los Angeles Chargers: Fired Brandon Staley, hired Jim Harbaugh (18-9)
I’d say the Bolts’ move to go out and get Harbaugh, who was fresh off a College Football Playoff national title at Michigan, has played out well enough for Chargers fans not to bellyache about missing out on Vrabel.
Harbaugh’s crew sits at 7-3 and squarely in the AFC West race heading into Week 11.
Washington Commanders: Fired Ron Rivera, hired Dan Quinn (15-12)
Sure, this season hasn’t been a continuation of the last one for the Commanders, but Quinn steered them to the NFC Championship game during his first year in the pilot’s seat. Drafting Jayden Daniels was a pretty good idea, too.
Chicago Bears: Fired Matt Eberflus, hired Ben Johnson (6-3)
Johnson was the darling of last offseason’s coaching carousel. The 2024 Associated Press Assistant Coach of the Year chose the Windy City and the chance to help mold former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.
Johnson, who designed the Detroit Lions’ potent offenses from 2022-24, has the Bears at 6-3. If the season ended today, Chicago would be the NFC’s No. 6 seed.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Fired Doug Peterson, hired Liam Coen (5-4)
Alright, Coen isn’t in the good graces of Jaguars fans after his team coughed up a 19-point lead on the road against the Houston Texans this past Sunday, but it’s still kind of early to fairly judge him after a 5-4 start to his stay in Jacksonville.
New York Jets: Fired Robert Saleh, hired Aaron Glenn (2-7)
Glenn’s Jets tenure hasn’t gotten off to the start he’d hoped for, but after shipping off Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams and piling up some early-round draft capital right before the trade deadline, the future could be bright.
Las Vegas Raiders: Fired Antonio Pierce, hired Pete Carroll (2-7)
Has the game passed Carroll up?
Handing the keys to a 73-year-old for a rebuild didn’t seem like a good idea, and the results thus far have confirmed that theory. Trading for Geno Smith probably wasn’t the best idea, either, in hindsight.
Dallas Cowboys: Fired Mike McCarthy, hired Brian Schottenheimer (3-5-1)
It’s unlikely the news of Schottenheimer’s hiring prompted many cheers. It was the antithesis of what fans have come to expect from Jerry Jones, who instead saved his surprise and ship franchise cornerstone Micah Parsons to a conference rival.
Atlanta Falcons: Fired Arthur Smith, hired Raheem Morris (11-15)
Morris is fielding the NFL’s best passing defense, but is trying to figure out how to snap out of his second four-game losing streak while in charge in Atlanta. If not already, fans are going to get impatient.
New England Patriots: Fired Bill Belichick, hired Jerod Mayo (4-13)
The only reason this hire isn’t higher on the list is because it’s easier to succeed the guy who succeeded the guy. The Patriots atoned for their mistake.
Mayo was also part of the decision to draft Drake Maye, who Vrabel inherited and is playing like an MVP candidate right now.
New Orleans Saints: Fired Dennis Allen, hired Kellen Moore (2-8)
Moore was part of the decision to draft Tyler Shough, whom the jury is still out. You can’t fault the Saints for poaching him from the Philadelphia Eagles. He coordinated four top-7 scoring offenses while in Dallas and Philly.
Las Vegas Raiders: Fired Josh McDaniels, hired Antonio Pierce (9-17)
Hiring Pierce didn’t seem like the worst idea at the time. He’d gone 5-4 as the Raiders’ interim head coach in 2023, but the lack of a quarterback helped do him in after last season, a campaign in which Las Vegas finished 4-13.
Carolina Panthers: Fired Frank Reich, hired Dave Canales (10-17)
The Panthers hired Canales knowing he didn’t have much experience as a coordinator, not to mention a head coach. Carolina hoped he could help develop former No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young like Canales did his part in reviving Baker Mayfield’s career while in Tampa Bay.
Instead, he might be on his way out before the end of this campaign.
Tennessee Titans: Fired Mike Vrabel, hired Brian Callahan (4-19)
The Titans technically passed on Vrabel by axing him, so we’ll count them here. Does it get any worse than finding out the grass isn’t always greener?
Vrabel had gone 54-45 with three playoff appearances over six seasons, but Tennessee served him his walking papers to replace him with Callahan. The Titans never got off the ground with Callahan at the helm and canned him after a 1-5 start this time around.