Tom Brady may have chance to hire preferred Raiders HC, but it won't be easy

The Las Vegas Raiders finished their season with a 4-13 record, a disappointing end after finishing the 2023 year with high hopes with Antonio Pierce at the helm. Pierce seemed safe after speaking with reporters on Monday, with the head coach saying he hasn't heard anything regarding his job status.

That changed on Tuesday, as multiple reports indicated that the Raiders fired Pierce, and are now looking for their third head coach since Jon Gruden's resignation in 2021.

While Raiders fans may not trust owner Mark Davis getting the decision right, he is relying on a new voice — Tom Brady. Despite being the No. 1 FOX Sports analyst, Brady had his minority ownership stake approved by the NFL this year.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Brady is expected to have "a lot" of influence on the Raiders head coaching search.

One name has been linked to the Raiders job if it did come available near the end of the season, and that's Mike Vrabel.

Tom Brady hiring Mike Vrabel as Raiders head coach won't be as easy as he thinks

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote last week that there are "many well connected folks" who believe that Vrabel would be the front runner for the job if Brady had a say.

"Mark Davis will listen to Brady’s counsel on where Pierce has taken the program and where things should go. There are plenty of well-connected folks who believe Vrabel would be the front-runner for that job," writes Breer. "In fact, last year, when Brady showed up at the team’s final practice of the season, some internally took it as a sign that a run at Vrabel, who hadn’t yet been fired in Tennessee, could be on the way."

The connection does make sense, considering both Brady and Vrabel were teammates on the New England Patriots from 2001 until 2008. While the Raiders fanbase might be weary about an ex-Patriots leading the team, it's important to note that Vrabel was never an assistant coach under Bill Belichick.

While Brady and the Raiders might want Vrabel, they'll have to get in line. There are now five other head coaching vacancies in the NFL this offseason, and Vrabel is being interviewed for some of them. Vrabel has already met with the New York Jets, but has interviews scheduled with the Chicago Bears and Patriots. Plus, the New Orleans Saints are working out details on a meeting.

The main competition for Vrabel may be the Patriots, who was described as team owner Robert Kraft's "dream candidate." Ultimately, Kraft went for the succession plan he had in place, moving on from Belichick and hiring assistant Jerod Mayo as his replacement. But after a 4-13 season, Kraft fired Mayo, putting him in line to hire another head coach.

As for Vrabel, he does have interest in the Patriots job. According to Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports, Vrabel met with the Jets to "put pressure on Patriots to make a move," in regards to firing Mayo. And that's what happened just minutes after New England's Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Vrabel is the top candidate in this head coaching cycle due in part to his success with the Tennessee Titans in his six seasons as their sideline boss. While Vrabel would be an ideal candidate not only because of his relationship with Brady, the Raiders are facing some stiff competition to land him.