Once it was beyond apparent that Robert Kraft would be moving on from Jerod Mayo after just one season as the Patriots' head coach, Mike Vrabel was the top candidate to be his successor. So when it was announced that he accepted the head coaching gig, excitement about the future of the franchise skyrocketed almost immediately.
It's put Vrabel in an interesting position in his first year as the head coach since expectations are far higher than they have been in quite some time. And it goes beyond just the New England fans hyping up what they can accomplish in 2025.