Mike Vrabel Had Simple Message For Tom Brady Before Taking Patriots Job

The inevitable happened on Sunday, with the New England Patriots officially hiring Mike Vrabel as their new head coach.

The Patriots were linked to Vrabel, a former star linebacker for the franchise, since before they fired Jerod Mayo last week after one season as coach. Vrabel was clearly the top target of New England's search all along, with the organization even making a mockery of the Rooney Rule in order to expedite hiring the 49-year-old leader. 

The Las Vegas Raiders are also in the market for a new coach, and Tom Brady, who owns a minority stake in the team, is leading the search for one. Given Vrabel's connections with Brady and Richard Seymour, another Raiders minority owner who played for the Patriots, there were some who thought he'd wind up in Sin City.

However, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Sunday, the Raiders never showed serious interest in Vrabel because Brady knew it would be a waste of time.

"My understanding is the Raiders never requested an interview or tried to bring Mike Vrabel in because Vrabel essentially told Tom Brady 'I'm going to end up going back to New England,'" Pelissero said.

Vrabel spent the 2024 season as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns. From 2018-23, he was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, posting a 54-45 record with three playoff appearances and one trip to the AFC Championship Game.

Vrabel was available for the Patriots to hire last offseason as well, but owner Robert Kraft had already promised Mayo the job as Bill Belichick's successor. However, following a 4-13 campaign in 2024, Mayo was let go.

"For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I have known Jerod for 17 years," Kraft said in a statement. "He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career for his play on the field, his leadership in the locker room and the way he conducted himself in our community. When he joined our coaching staff, his leadership was even more evident, as I saw how the players responded to him. When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. 

"Winning our season-opener on the road at Cincinnati only strengthened my convictions. Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team's performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped."