Halfway through the 2023 NFL season, the 2-7 New England Patriots have the worst record in the AFC. There has been plenty of talk about Bill Belichick's job security moving forward, even if he reportedly signed a lucrative multiyear extension with the Patriots this offseason.
Belichick is 27-32 since Tom Brady left Foxborough in 2020, and the Patriots haven't won a playoff game since winning Super Bowl LIII in 2019. This past week, the Boston Globe reported that it's not a given Belichick finishes the season as the Patriots head coach. Many believe one of the greatest head coaches of all time has earned the right to walk away when he wants, but multiple reports claim Robert Kraft has already discussed the possibility of dismissing Belichick.
Who could replace the 71-year-old legend? The Boston Globe reports two sources close to the Patriots have said the organization has a "home run" choice in current Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. Not only that, but Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio is another "home run" target the Patriots would like to bring back to the front office.
Vrabel, who played linebacker for New England for eight seasons, is a Patriots legend. He recently was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame, and helped the franchise win three Super Bowls in the early 2000s. The problem is that Vrabel is currently under contract with the Titans, and the Patriots would have to trade for him if they wanted to bring the 48-year-old home. The Boston Globe reports it would likely take at least one first-round pick. Plus, the Titans would have to be open to parting ways with their lead man.
Vrabel entered the coaching ranks after retiring following the 2010 season, and spent time as the linebackers coach for Ohio State University and the Texans. After one season as Houston's defensive coordinator, Vrabel was hired by Tennessee in 2018 to serve as its new head coach.
Vrabel is 51-39 as Tennessee's head coach, and has made the playoffs in three out of five seasons. He was named the NFL's Coach of the Year in 2021, after going 12-5 and earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
It makes sense that the Patriots would be infatuated with the idea of Vrabel as the next head coach in New England, but he's created his own culture down in Nashville. Belichick likely has quite the buyout with his new deal, but it appears Kraft and Co. have already begun thinking about the future.
