It’s not very often that good coaches get fired in the NFL, but when that does happen, they usually aren’t out of work for too long. The Pittsburgh Steelers have benefitted from this before when Brian Flores was fired by the Miami Dolphins. Mike Tomlin refused to let such a talented coach be forced out of the league, and Flores helped the Steelers’ defense look even more fearsome in 2022. However, the Steelers aren’t the only team that benefits from other team’s mistakes. The Cleveland Browns hired a prominent former head coach onto their staff as a senior consultant this offseason, and while he may give them a boost during the season, it seems he won’t be used in the same way the Steelers used Flores.
Mike Vrabel was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023, taking them to the playoffs in three of those years and winning Coach of the Year in 2021. The Titans fired Vrabel this past offseason, even though it didn’t seem like he was part of the problem in Tennessee, but one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Now, Vrabel is working for the Browns, and on a recent episode of Pardon My Take, he explained that his role in Cleveland won’t include any involvement on game days.
“I knew going in, Kevin [Stefanski] and I had talked about not having a role on game day, but I think that that’s good,” Vrabel said. “I want to do everything I can prior to the game, the pre-advance, the practices, help out where I can. I don’t want to change their flow of the game day.”
It feels like there are several pros and cons to not having Vrabel with the team during games. Flores did accompany the Steelers on game day and was frequently seen on the sidelines. Players raved about the way he helped them grow, both individually and as a unit. If the Browns don’t have Vrabel with them on game day, will he be able to have the same impact? That question will probably be asked more than once during the season if the Browns struggle.
On the other hand, maybe having Vrabel on the sideline would be too distracting and a change compared to what the Browns are used to doing. Although considering they’ve still struggled the past few years, maybe change would be good for them. Vrabel is familiar with Browns’ quarterback Deshaun Watson from his time as the Houston Texans’ defensive coordinator in 2017, so maybe he could help better connect Watson and the Browns.
While it wouldn’t seem like Vrabel, whose roots on the defensive side of the ball stretch all the way back to when he played for the Steelers in the late 1990s, would be able to provide as much help for the offense, Flores was able to do so with the Steelers. While the two men aren’t the same, they do have several similarities, and their situations are vaguely similar as well, even if Flores was allegedly fired for much worse reasons.
If the Browns struggle this year, analysts will almost certainly discuss how Vrabel needs to be more involved in their process. Although Stefanski, their current head coach, just won Coach of the Year, job security is never certain in the NFL. For the Steelers, this presents a different kind of challenge with which they are slightly familiar. In a competitive AFC North, Vrabel’s assistance could give the Browns the edge they need.
With the division also being featured on Hard Knocks later this year, fans should get to see what Vrabel’s level of involvement really is with the Browns. The Steelers made several improvements this offseason, but so did the rest of the division. A tough road ahead will only get tougher as weeks pass. Hopefully, the Steelers are prepared for any wrinkles Vrabel adds to the Browns.
