New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel brought in a familiar face to help with the defensive side of the ball in his first season with the team.
The Patriots signed EDGE rusher Harold Landry III to reinforce the defensive line. Vrabel drafted Landry in his first year as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, with Landry having two 10-plus sack seasons under Vrabel.
CBS’s Tyler Sullivan named Landry as an under-the-radar player who can impact his team in the 2025-26 season.
“Despite signing a three-year, $43.5 million deal with the Patriots in March, Landry has sort of been lost in the shuffle of New England’s busy offseason. However, his addition shouldn’t be overlooked,” Sullivan wrote for CBS. “New England was dead last in the NFL in sacks in 2024 and had the fourth-lowest pressure rate. Landry comes to Foxborough with a prior history working under coach Mike Vrabel due to their shared time with the Tennessee Titans.”
“Vrabel was at the helm when Landry posted a 12-sack season in 2021, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him reach that Pro Bowl level this year with his new squad.”
Landry logged 10.5 sacks and 70 tackles in Vrabel’s last season at the helm of the Titans.
Vrabel Excited to Work With Harold Landry Again
Mike Vrabel coached Harold Landry for five seasons in Nashville and has been impressed with him in Foxborough.
“Really good. Really good,” Vrabel said when asked how Landry has been so far with the Patriots. “I have seen a different version of Harold. I think he’s excited to be back up here, be back with some of these guys that he’s been coached by… Looking forward to seeing him play.”
Landry said in his introductory press conference that part of the reason he joined New England was to rejoin Mike Vrabel.
“I was excited to come back because he knows my skillset. He knows how I operate, and I think, throughout my career, he and his staff have done a great job of putting me in positions to go out and be productive and help the team,” Landry said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to. And that was one of the main reasons why I came here. I knew Vrabes and his staff knew me…”
The EDGE rusher is going to see another familiar face with the Patriots. The Patriots hired Terrell Williams for their defensive coordinator position. Williams was the defensive line coach with the Titans and coached Harold Landry. Williams was the assistant head coach with Vrabel in the 2023-24 season.
Landry on Patriots Project
Besides reuniting with his former head coach, Harold Landry is excited about what the Patriots are building for the future.
“I felt like that was the main thing for me, was wanting to come into a situation where I felt like I can come in and help, be productive, help set the culture and build this thing up,” Landry said.
The new Patriot received a 70.5 grade from Pro Football Talk in his last season with the Titans, alongside 42 solo tackles.
Harold Landry has a proven record of being a reliable player on the field. He has missed only one game in his career, besides a torn ACL year. If he remains healthy with the Patriots, he can expect a Pro Bowl season.
