Mike Vrabel Rumors: Patriots Legend Trying To ‘Force’ Titans Exit?

Patriots fans might have reason to hope for a Mike Vrabel reunion after all.

Vrabel, who's one of the best head coaches in football, was floated as a potential Bill Belichick successor early this month. However, a recent report indicated the Titans are committed to Vrabel long-term and that a trade with the Patriots is "not happening."

Maybe that's true; maybe it's not. But a new report suggests Vrabel could force his way out of Tennessee and to New England.

Check out this excerpt from a column published Sunday by Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal:

Many believe that Vrabel was put in the position of being a strong HC and wanted the hiring of Ran Carthon as GM. That is incorrect. That was a shotgun marriage by ownership. NFL sources believe the league had a heavy hand in owner Amy Adams Strunk hiring Carthon, a top minority candidate. Vrabel and Carthon had no previous relationship, and it's believed they don't have much of one now. There have been issues with Carthon's job performance even back to his 49ers days.

League sources believe that Vrabel could be looking for a way to force his way out of Tennessee after this season, and the Patriots would be an obvious landing spot -- if not the frontrunner. Could the Krafts trade Belichick to the Commanders, Chargers or Panthers, and then secure Vrabel? It's not out of the realm of possibility.

Bedard added that people in the NFL "took note" of Vrabel's remarks during a halftime ceremony last month after being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

"I don't want you to take this organization for granted," Vrabel said. "I've been a lot of places, this is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, and great coaching. Enjoy it, it's not like this everywhere."

Ultimately, a Vrabel-Patriots marriage feels unlikely, regardless of how many people involved want it to happen. And Bedard even reported the "universal opinion" around the league is that Jerod Mayo will be New England's next head coach.

But stranger things have happened in the NFL. And at a certain point, it's fair to wonder whether there's fire accompanying all this smoke.