The 2024 NFL regular season is in its final stretch, meaning it won’t be long before the head coach hiring cycle begins. There are already two openings around the league after the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints fired Robert Saleh and Dennis Allen, respectively, leaving time to tell how many more vacancies will open between now and the offseason.
It remains to be seen if the Cleveland Browns’ staff will undergo any changes this winter. Head coach Kevin Stefanski owns a 39-38 record since coming to town in 2020 and even though the current campaign has been forgettable, a year filled with injuries could lead to management giving the 42-year-old one more opportunity next year.
Even if Stefanski returns in 2025, that doesn’t mean his entire staff will join him. In fact, one of his coaches could end up leading an NFL team of his own.
Browns Rumors: Mike Vrabel Drawing Major Interest
On Saturday, The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini wrote about how the next hiring cycle could see a lot of ex-players walking away with coaching jobs. When it comes to potential options that fall under that criteria, Russini suspects that Browns advisor Mike Vrabel could be near the top of most franchises’ lists.
“As owners look around at the league’s successful head coaches, the culture builders stand out,” Russini wrote. “Vrabel fits into that category, a former player who can unite a locker room while holding his players accountable.”
Russini’s what I’m hearing: This NFL coach hiring cycle is going to be huge https://t.co/012XNKBXm1
— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) November 16, 2024
A former linebacker, Vrabel began his coaching career at Ohio State before joining the Houston Texans as an LB coach in 2014. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2018 before being hired as the Tennessee Titans head coach in 2018, a position that he ended up holding for six seasons.
Vrabel’s Titans tenure started on a high note as he led the team to a 41-24 record across his first four campaigns, which included three playoff appearances, two AFC South titles, and an AFC Championship Game appearance. Unfortunately, that’s where the fun times ended as Tennessee went 13-21 across the following two seasons, resulting in Vrabel’s firing earlier this year.
The 49-year-old’s time in the unemployment line didn’t last long, though, as the Browns hired him in an advisory role two months after his dismissal. While he’s done well at the job, being an advisor likely wasn’t his first choice.
Russini reports that Vrabel was a finalist to coach the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers, who opted to hire Raheem Morris and Jim Harbaugh, respectively. NFL insider Jordan Schultz also reported in January that the New England Patriots—who Vrabel spent most of his playing career with—were interested in replacing Bill Belichick with him.
Even though Vrabel didn’t get his desired job last cycle, Russini doesn’t see that being the case this offseason. The NFL insider is confident that the former Ohio State product will “have his pick of available jobs” when the time comes—especially with today’s league fitting his run-heavy mentality.
Vrabel won’t be hired by a new team until January at the earliest, though, meaning he’s likely focusing on the present for now. He’ll be working with the rest of the Browns coaching staff to figure out how to avoid a third consecutive loss when they host the rival Pittsburgh Steelers for the Week 12 Thursday Night Football matchup.
