Well before Robert Kraft decided to fire Bill Belichick as the Patriots' head coach after two decades, there had been a lot of talk about his preference for Mike Vrabel as his successor. The problem was that he was still coaching for the Titans, which inevitably led to Jerod Mayo taking over for the 2024 season, only to eventually be replaced by Vrabel the following year.
Because of his experience as a head coach and player, Vrabel was expected to recharge a rebuilding Patriots team and drastically change the vibes of what appeared to be a broken locker room.