The New England Patriots have not had a great first season under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo. New England is 3-13 heading into Week 18 and is currently in position for the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Some Patriots fans might be tempted to make a change at head coach already after such a disappointing start. Former Patriots Mike Vrabel is counting on it.

Former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel wants the Patriots head coaching job, according to reporting by Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda. However, this is unlikely to actually happen. Patriots owner Robert Kraft seems interested in bringing back Jerod Mayo.

This situation could change as the offseason evolves, but that appears to be Kraft's opinion at this time.

Vrabel would be an intriguing option for the Patriots to consider. He is a familiar face in the organization after playing eight years for the Patriots. As a head coach, he has a 56-48 career record with a winning percentage of 0.538. His postseason coaching record is 2-3, with both of those wins coming during the 2019 season when the Titans advanced to the AFC Championship game. Oddly enough, the Titans beat the Patriots during the Wild Card round that year.

Of course, the fly in the ointment is the idea of bailing on Jerod Mayo after one season. Not only would it be a bad look for the organization, but their actions don't suggest it will happen. The Patriots set up a succession plan for Bill Belichick that handed the job to Mayo. It would be surprising if the Patriots tossed him away at the first opportunity.

Dianna Russini breaks down Patriots' dilemma between Jerod Mayo, Mike Vrabel

Dec 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel looks on during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
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NFL insider Dianna Russini recently discussed the possibility of the Patriots pursuing Mike Vrabel.

Russini explained why exploring this possibility could be a tricky situation for the Patriots on a recent episode of the Scoop City Podcast.

“I admire that type of loyalty from an owner, especially from a guy that he employed as a former player, and he probably wants to give him a chance to fix all of this, but this has got to be appealing,” Russini said. “How do you sit there and not go, ‘Wait, a proven great coach is available, and I can talk to him now'”?

Both coaches in this scenario are former Patriots players, which makes the decision all the more difficult.

It will be interesting to see what New England decides to do this offseason. Both with their roster decisions and at head coach.

But let's not get too ahead of ourselves. The Patriots have a Week 18 game against the Bills left to play before the offseason