Just Now: Sad” Raiders Head Coach Give Two Reasons Before He Leave….
On Tuesday, the Tennessee Titans fired Mike Vrabel, which shocked some people but likely caught the attention of teams with a head-coaching vacancy. Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis hasn’t lined up interviews for his open position yet–he’s focused on potential general managers—but Vrabel could be on his short list of candidates.
Several NFL insiders have noted that Davis might want a splashy hire similar to his previous two, Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniels. If so, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh may not be the only big name with a shot at the Raiders job.
We’ve heard rumors about Harbaugh and even Gruden’s return for a third stint with the Silver and Black. But what about Vrabel?
Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz believes Davis could show interest in the former Titans lead skipper.
We’ve heard rumors about Harbaugh and even Gruden’s return for a third stint with the Silver and Black. But what about Vrabel?
Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz believes Davis could show interest in the former Titans lead skipper.
“Vrabel and Cowden,” Breer wrote in his mailbag response to X user Maino03. “I think the Raiders take a swing at Harbaugh. And I think if they can’t land a big fish like Vrabel, Harbaugh or Belichick, then they probably stick with Antonio Pierce.”
For context, Cowden served as the Titans director of player personnel (2016-17), vice president of player personnel (2018-22) and interim general manager after the team fired Jon Robinson in 2022.
As Breer suggested in his Wednesday column, Vrabel may vouch for Cowden at his next destination because the two had a healthy working relationship in Tennessee.
Vrabel doesn’t have the glitz and glamour around his name like Harbaugh, but he has an established resume that suggests he’s a quality head coach.Mike Vrabel could be dark horse for multiple teams.Won about 55% of his gamesWon 2 division titles4 winning seasons in 6 yrsLeader who brings a brand of toughnessI’d still put Jim Harbaugh & Antonio Pierce ahead of him for the #Raiders position, wouldn’t sleep on him tho. https://t.co/wnDdKBna6a Moe Moton (@MoeMoton) January 9, 2024
In six seasons, Vrabel didn’t have a star quarterback and only two of his offenses ranked within the top 10 in scoring. Yet he led Tennessee to the playoffs in three consecutive campaigns (2019-2021), which include two division titles (2020-2021) and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game of the 2019 term.
In 2021, Vrabel became the first Titans lead skipper to win NFL Coach of the Year:“It means a lot to our players and our staff…I’m proud of our 91 players that we used to win 12 games.”@TaylorBisciotti catches up with @Titans head coach Mike Vrabel after winning 2021 Coach of the Year award. pic.twitter.com/ZK3ps6AwHNFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 11, 2022
If Davis wants Harbaugh but swings and misses, he may at least interview Vrabel in the process of picking the best candidate.
As New England Patriots, Brady and Vrabel played together between the 2001 and 2008 seasons, winning three Super Bowls in that span.
Mike Vrabel’s coaching style doesn’t fit under the “Patriot Way”
Davis seemingly divorced himself from the “Patriot Way” when he fired general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels midway through this past season.
Raiders fans who are sick of the “Patriot Way” invading the franchise’s culture, just remember, Vrabel played under Bill Belichick, but his coaching style isn’t associated with the “Patriot Way” at all.
