Will Mike Vrabel's impact immediately point the New England Patriots back in the right direction?
The Patriots hired Vrabel as their new head coach shortly after firing one-and-done Jerod Mayo in early January. The move showed New England's sense of urgency after its second consecutive 4-13 campaign.
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Vrabel led the Tennessee Titans to the playoffs in three straight seasons (2019-21) during his six-year tenure. The former Pats linebacker has earned a reputation across the league as a no-nonsense culture builder, and that's just what New England needs at this stage of its rebuild.
NBC Sports' Mike Tirico raved about the Vrabel hire in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Boston. Tirico noted Vrabel's ability to connect with players and coach in a challenging environment.
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"Mike knows the market. He knows the history of the franchise. He knows the ownership. He even knows exactly the situation he's coming into," Tirico said. "Sometimes, coaches get hired and they had success one place and they'll go somewhere else and it doesn't exactly fit. That's not a question for me with Mike Vrabel, because he understands everything about what it takes to coach these guys, to build this organization, and what Patriots football should look like.
"I also think the fact that Mike had a son who went through college football recently and has somebody who's very similar in age to what the majority of his roster will be really helps, because he understands that it's different than when he was playing, what those guys have to go through on a regular basis. Social media, criticism, all that stuff. So I think he's gonna be perfect for relating with players of this generation."
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Tirico believes Vrabel's résumé -- both as a player and a coach -- will instantly make the Patriots respected by other teams. By the end of the 2025 season, Tirico sees New England making significant strides under Vrabel's leadership.
"There's a track record on both sides of the ball. This guy has played championship-level football on the defensive side, and when he went out as a pass-catcher," Tirico added. "That confidence alone brings you instant credibility not just in your building, not just in this market, but around the league.
"People are gonna be in October, November saying, 'You know what? This Patriots team, they're a pain to play. Vrabel's building something.' I get the sense that's going to be the feeling around this team as the year goes on."
First, Vrabel and the Patriots must address several glaring holes on their roster this offseason. They need major upgrades on both sides of the ball, particularly along the offensive line, at wide receiver, and on the edge of their defensive line.
Tirico, who was on the call for NBC Sports Boston's Celtics-Blazers broadcast on Wednesday as he prepares to call NBA games on NBC next season, also joined the Celtics Talk Podcast to share his take on the team's chances of repeating as NBA champions. You can listen to that episode here.
