Mike Vrabel’s time served with the Browns was always intended as a short-term arrangement. A qualified head coach, he opted to find work in between hiring cycles. Undoubtedly, he will field a number of interviews in the coming weeks. But now he can officially begin that process.
According to Dianna Russini and Zach Rosenblatt of The Athletic, Vrabel is now free. After serving as a consultant with the organization this season, the Browns are permitting him to leave now. That means he can begin interviewing for head coaching opportunities as soon as teams start submitting requests.
Many wondered if Vrabel would be a secret weapon of sorts. While I’m sure he had a positive effect on the Browns, the product on the field did not reflect that. In fact, they regressed in a major way, going from a playoff team to a bottom feeder. It would be shocking, however, if anybody held that against him.
There are, as of now, three head coaching vacancies entering the 2025 hiring cycle with more expected to follow. Already, The Athletic’s sources expect the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints to interview Mike Vrabel. While the Chicago Bears have yet to give any indication, that is certainly a possibility as well.
Other potential head coaching vacancies that may open up include the New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Giants. For Browns fans, don’t get excited about Kevin Stefanski’s potential firing just yet. And Steelers fans—I hope I don’t have to tell you that Mike Vrabel won’t be your head coach in 2025.
The Steelers, of course, drafted Vrabel in the third round back in 1997. He played four seasons here before blossoming in New England, winning three Super Bowls with the Patriots. He began coaching at his alma mater of Ohio State in 2011, the year after he retired, and has coached steadily since.
After three years in college, Vrabel earned the LB coaching job with the Houston Texans. He served in that role for three seasons then acted as defensive coordinator. The following season, he earned the Tennessee Titans’ head coaching job. Despite some up-and-down seasons, his firing after six seasons was met with considerable surprise.
Still, no teams filled their head coaching void with Mike Vrabel a year ago, but that is not infrequently the case for those recently fired. He will surely be one of the most highly sought-after veteran coaches during the current cycle.
But he is unlikely to remain in the AFC North. No team in the division appears even remotely likely to fire its head coach. That includes the Browns, in spite of their dismal season. And something tells me Vrabel is ready to get out of Cleveland anyway.
