There may have been something of an unusual variable at play this offseason when no NFL team decided to hire Mike Vrabel as a head coach after he was fired by the Tennessee Titans.
“I had a GM at the Senior Bowl who mentioned to me Vrabel’s physical build,” insider Dianna Russini said during an appearance on The Athletic Football Show (24:39 mark). “That he’s a very large human being. And can be very intimidating to people in an organization that are going to be part of these decisions. And that is a factor.”
Russini also said she laughed at the notion, but the general manager followed up by saying, “I’m just telling you, I’ve been in rooms. And somebody’s physical presence can make a difference.”
Vrabel may be bigger than most coaches, but most coaches also aren’t three-time Super Bowl-winning linebackers who were a key part of some of the best teams from the New England Patriots’ dynasty.
It requires a certain amount of size to excel as a linebacker in the NFL, but Vrabel has also found plenty of success as a coach.
He was 54-45 with three playoff appearances in six seasons with the Titans. He reached the AFC Championship Game during the 2019 campaign and then followed up with an 11-5 record in 2020 and a 12-5 record in 2021.
While the Titans went a combined 13-21 the past two seasons, it was still surprising when he wasn’t hired as a head coach given that track record and his resume that dates back to being a player in the NFL.
Potential size concerns or not, he figures to once again be a prominent name during the coaching cycle after the 2024 season. Teams will surely struggle and decide to move on from their current coaches and could look toward high-profile hires in Vrabel or Bill Belichick when attempting to find a leader to turn things around in 2025 and beyond.
Maybe those teams will even need a coach with enough size to intimidate the opponents.
2024-02-05 21:21:44
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