New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has bigger and better things to worry about this week, but who would blame him for making a few phone calls regarding the future of his coaching staff?
If you’re having trouble picking up what we’re putting down, let us take a look around the league for a moment…
The Las Vegas Raiders (Pete Carroll), Arizona Cardinals (Jonathan Gannon), Cleveland Browns (Kevin Stefanski), Atlanta Falcons (Raheem Morris), New York Giants (Brian Daboll) and Tennessee Titans (Brian Callahan) all have head coach openings following “Black Monday.”
Vrabel has personal relationships with plenty of those impacted by the firings, which could give him a leg up in the recruitment of assistant coaches who are looking for their next opportunity.
I’ve compiled a list of names who could be of interest heading into 2026:
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Vrabel previously worked with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone during his tenure with the Browns in 2024, and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen during his stint with the Titans between 2018-2023.
Josh McDaniels previously worked with Chad O’Shea and Patrick Graham, who recently spent time with Cleveland and Las Vegas.
The Patriots are obviously pleased with the job of their current coaching staff, but there is some uncertainty regarding the futures of defensive coordinator Terrell Williams and passing game coordinator Thomas Brown — with the former currently undergoing cancer treatment and the latter two esch viewed as candidates for a promotion.
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It’s something to keep an eye on, at the very least.
Featured image via Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images
