The New England Patriots are in the market for a head coach again this offseason, as they fired Jerod Mayo after just one year with the team. Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel has immediately emerged as the frontrunner to land this gig, but there's another candidate in Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson who cannot be ruled out either.
Vrabel's success with the Titans and prior history with the Patriots during his time as a player has made him the early favorite to replace Mayo as the team's head coach. And while many folks are already writing off Vrabel to the Pats as a done deal, reports have suggested that there's a real chance Johnson could find his way to New England instead of Vrabel.
“I wouldn't rule out Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for this job at all. I think a lot of what the Patriots are looking for is going to center on getting the most out of quarterback Drake Maye. With Maye in place, their considerable cap space ($91.75 million, according to Roster Management System) and a high draft pick to help kick-start the build, this job is going to be of real interest to top offensive candidates such as Johnson,” Dan Graziano reported.
Could the Patriots have their pick between Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson?

As one of the brightest offensive minds in the game, Johnson is being linked to several head coach openings, but New England looms as a potential landing spot, even in the wake of their ugly 4-13 campaign. They have a talented quarterback in Drake Maye on their hands, and the assets necessary in cap space and high draft picks to begin building around him. That could be appealing to the notoriously picky Johnson as he looks to land his first head coaching gig.
Vrabel's experience and ties to the Patriots make him an obvious candidate at head coach, but the team clearly has interest in Johnson, as he is currently one of only four candidates set to interview for the position. And while these guys both are drawing interest from other teams with head coaching vacancies, it's fair to wonder whether New England could end up getting to pick between their top two candidates when all is said and done.