Titans Owner Explains Why Tennessee Didn’t Trade Mike Vrabel

The Titans moving on from Mike Vrabel was a surprise, but Tennessee’s method of severing ties with the head coach was even more of a stunner.

Vrabel was fired Tuesday after six seasons at the helm in Nashville, where he guided three trips to the playoffs and won Coach of the Year in 2021. Many argued the Titans should have traded the former New England Patriots linebacker, as he probably could have fetched a solid return in a league where great coaching is at a premium.

So, why didn’t Tennessee make a deal for Vrabel? Owner Amy Adams Strunk explained in an interview posted by the team.

“There’s a bit of misconception about a coach’s contract, say versus a player’s contract,” Strunk said, as transcribed by ESPN. “A coach’s contract, you can’t trade them unless they are a willing partner to that trade. So, yes, we thought about it but at the end of the day with league rules the way they are it would have maybe put us back three weeks and you know, to get the right head coach I was just not willing to go to the back of the line and take a chance of missing out on someone we really wanted.”

Vrabel now is free to join any team, and as of early Wednesday morning, there were five vacancies to choose from. However, there seemingly is a chance Vrabel is holding out hope for an opening in New England, where Bill Belichick might be on his way out after a string of disappointing seasons.