Patriots Rumors: Does Robert Kraft Prefer Jerod Mayo Over Mike Vrabel?

Did the Tennessee Titans' decision to fire Mike Vrabel gift the Patriots their next head coach? Don't jump to that conclusion just yet.

Multiple outlets reported Vrabel's newfound availability would not impact New England owner Robert Kraft's decision on head coach Bill Belichick. It remained unclear, three days after the Patriots' season finale, whether the team planned to retain or part ways with Belichick.

One such report came from NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran, who wrote Wednesday on the X platform that the Patriots "have been methodical in their approach to the succession plan and parting ways with Belichick."

"Vrabel's availability isn't expected to alter the plan," Curran added.

Curran does believe the Patriots ultimately will choose to move on from Belichick, however, and that Jerod Mayo, not Vrabel, will be tabbed to replace him.

"I believe that they will still stay on the course with Jerod Mayo as the next head coach," Curran said on NBC Sports Boston.

Kraft said last offseason, after convincing Mayo to turn down a head-coaching interview to sign a Patriots contract extension, that wanted New England's linebackers coach to one day succeed Belichick as head coach. Recent reports, though, suggested Kraft hoped that transition would happen in 2025, not this offseason.

Patriots radio analyst Scott Zolak believed Vrabel's ouster in Tennessee was "bad for Mayo," who's highly respected within the Patriots' locker room but has far less coaching experience than Vrabel. Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz on Tuesday reported the Patriots and Vrabel have "mutual interest."

Despite all of that speculation, as of midday Wednesday, the Patriots had yet to announce how they planned to proceed with Belichick.