6x Patriots Super Bowl champion eyeing coaching return as Mike Vrabel decision hangs by thread

Mike Vrabel is expected to return to the New England Patriots as their new head coach, succeeding the one-and-done Jerod Mayo. And now, there is a hint as to whom he will hire as one of his assistants.

On Saturday, CBS insider Jonathan Jones reported that the former leader of the Tennessee Titans was considering bringing Josh McDaniels back to Foxboro as his offensive coordinator. The 48-year-old joined the team in 2001 as a personnel assistant and held various positions, including OC, during his two stints there, winning six Super Bowl titles.

He was last seen in the league leading the Las Vegas Raiders, who fired him in the middle of the 2023 season.

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Former teammate calls Mike Vrabel the only person who can "fix" the Patriots

As a former Patriot, Mike Vrabel should know very well how far his former team has fallen - from dominating the NFC East for the better part of two decades to languishing in last place for two straight seasons. And according to a former teammate, it is a situation only he can mend.

Speaking on the postseason special episode of ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown on Saturday, fellow former linebacker Tedy Bruschi said:

“I gotta say something about the New England Patriots, who have been absolutely a mess the last couple years in how they’ve handled things. The only way to fix this is to hire Mike Vrabel," Bruschi said. "A coach that can come in there and doesn’t just lead men, but can lead football players. Knows how to reach football players and deal with that ownership.”

This plea follows on from a rant by former tight end Rob Gronkowski, wherein he condemned the Patriots for their handling of his former teammate Jerod Mayo in what proved to be his only season as head coach:

“I was shocked by that... I think it was unfair. He never had the chance to develop as a head coach," Gronkowski said. "He was just a rookie in that department. If you judge a coach by their first year, that’s really not appropriate. Jimmy Johnson, you went 1-15 in your first year and you won a couple Super Bowls after that.”

After the commercial break, he did relent somewhat, hinting that the organization had a long-term plan that centered around Vrabel:

“Obviously, Mr. Kraft didn’t see Jerod Mayo being that culture builder that he was hoping to be. And obviously Mr. Kraft has a plan as well going forward. Probably hoping to get Mike Vrabel. There is some rumbling out there as well that Josh McDaniels may come back as well as offensive coordinator.”

Per Nicole Yang of The Boston Globe, both sides reportedly entered contract talks.