NFL Rumors: New Update On Patriots’ Pursuit Of Ben Johnson

The Patriots’ 2024 season ended last Sunday, but New England didn’t have any time to kick back and relax after the finale.

Robert Kraft and company conducted a pair of head coach interviews Tuesday, two days after the franchise fired Jerod Mayo. The Patriots also are slated to interview Mike Vrabel on Thursday in Foxboro, Mass., where the former linebacker helped hang three Super Bowl banners at Gillette Stadium.

While Vrabel has been tabbed as the frontrunner for the job since Mayo’s exit, the candidate following the former Tennessee Titans head coach on New England’s schedule certainly could make things interesting. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Ben Johnson will interview virtually with Kraft on Friday.

It would behoove the Patriots to take their interview with Johnson very seriously, even if they have been leaning toward Vrabel since the start of the process. The Lions offensive coordinator is regarded as one of the NFL’s sharpest offensive minds and he very well could take Drake Maye’s game to new heights. The 38-year-old also has some local ties (his coaching career started at Boston College) and he had a front-row seat to a successful rebuild in Detroit, where Dan Campbell’s group went from 3-13-1 in 2021 to 15-2 this season.

But regardless of who the Patriots are prioritizing in their coach search, it sure sounds like the franchise is on a fast track toward putting out an offer.