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New England Patriots News & Rumors

2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 15th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy splitting up, seven teams have made coaching changes so far during this year’s cycle. Here are the candidates connected to each of the HC-needy franchises. If more teams make changes, they will be added to the list.

Updated 2-11-25 (11:40am CT)

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

AFC East Rumors: Van Pelt, Jets, Dolphins

January 15th, 2025 at 1:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Both the Giants and Vikings submitted viable offers to the Patriots for the No. 3 overall pick last year, with each NFC franchise eyeing Drake Maye. Each would have netted the Pats an additional second-rounder in last year’s draft and a first this year. New York’s proposal would have given New England this year’s third overall choice, but Maye now serves as the Pats’ franchise centerpiece. Ultimately, then-acting GM Eliot Wolf and ownership stayed and picked Maye. Though, there appeared to be some supporters of accepting a trade-down offer. At the time, it is believed OC Alex Van Pelt was among those who viewed the Pats’ roster as too deficient to pass on moving down, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin notes.

While it may not be certain Mike Vrabel moves on from Van Pelt, the OC effectively confirmed this by telling friends he had been fired following the team’s Week 18 game. This came despite the organization being pleased with how he had helped develop Maye. Vrabel’s next play-caller’s chief assignment will be elevating Maye to another level in 2025.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • In December, Davante Adams was noncommittal about his Jets future. After all, the player responsible for him being traded to New York — Aaron Rodgers — appears on his way out. After the season, Adams did not confirm (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) he would be following Rodgers out the door, but he said staying with the team post-Rodgers would depend on a few factors. Adams’ Raiders-built contract runs through 2026. Allen Lazard was more enthusiastic about staying with the Jets. The lower-profile Rodgers come-with guy at receiver, Lazard went from being a healthy scratch at a point in 2023 to totaling 530 yards and six touchdowns this season. Lazard said (via Cimini) he wants to stay and later retire a Jet. Though, his four-year, $44MM contract would produce $11MM in savings if removed from the payroll via a post-June 1 release.
  • Calais Campbell said before season’s end he was not closing the door on playing an 18th NFL season, and the accomplished defensive lineman noted after the Dolphins‘ year wrapped (via ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) that he will consider an age-39 slate. Campbell notched five sacks, and his 12 tackles for loss were his most since 2018. The Dolphins had him on their books for just $2MM this season, and after they nearly traded him back to the Ravens at the deadline, it stands to reason the Miami alum will look into landing with a contender soon.
  • Elsewhere on the Dolphins’ roster, both Jaelan Phillips and Austin Jackson are expected to be fine for the 2025 opener, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson tweets. Phillips, who suffered an Achilles tear in 2023 and a partially torn ACL this season, is going into his fifth-year option campaign. Jackson, who suffered a meniscus tear, is tied to a three-year, $36MM extension. Swing tackle Kendall Lamm is almost definitely set to depart in free agency, Jackson adds. The Dolphins’ Patrick Paul second-round draft choice had pointed the veteran elsewhere. That said, Grier said the Dolphins “are going to have to” invest in O-linemen this offseason. While the team has three higher-end tackle investments under contract, its interior situation is less solidified.
  • Staying with O-lines, Vrabel confirmed (via the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi) the Patriots‘ front will be a priority this offseason. This echoes a recent report that suggested OL and WR would be New England’s top target areas. The Pats struggled up front, with the loss of David Andrews and the left tackle carousel being among the issues. Vrabel leaned on the ground game in Tennessee, largely because of Derrick Henry‘s presence, but the Pats have by far the most cap space exiting the season. With questions existing just about everywhere outside of Michael Onwenu‘s presence (and even his position has fluctuated), allocating considerable resources up front seems likely as the Pats attempt to protect Maye.

Browns To Promote Tommy Rees To OC

January 14th, 2025 at 10:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns‘ search for a new offensive coordinator is set to come to an end. Tight ends coach Tommy Rees is being promoted, as first reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Ken Dorsey took on the role of OC last offseason, allowing him a quick turnaround following his in-season 2023 firing by the Bills. Things did not go according to plan on offense for Cleveland this year, however resulting in another dismissal. Many expected a return to someone familiar with head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s with the next hire. As a result, this news comes as no surprise.

Rees quickly emerged as one of the candidates to receive offensive coordinator consideration. An interview was lined up last week, and with reported interest existing from outside teams, Cleveland needed to move quickly with respect to handing him the reins on offense. After speaking with Darrell Bevell (Dolphins), Charles London (Seahawks), Kevin Koger (Falcons) and Klint Kubiak (Saints), the top in-house candidate has received the no. This will be Rees’ third OC position in his career, but the first at the NFL level.

The 32-year-old quickly transitioned from playing to coaching, holding down one-year positions in the college and pro games in 2015 and ’16. After that, Rees worked as the quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame, his alma mater. He served in that capacity from 2017-22, with the final three seasons of that stretch doubling as his time at the helm of the team’s offense. In 2023, Rees joined Nick Saban‘s staff at Alabama and handled OC responsibilities.

That period was followed by a return to the NFL coaching ranks with the Browns. Rees held the role of tight ends coach but also pass game specialist during his first year working under Stefanski. This promotion will result in a major increase in responsibilities and expectation, although the possibility remains Stefanski will reclaim play-calling duties. In any case, a step forward in production will be needed for the Browns in 2025.

Indeed, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes Stefanski is expected to take back play-calling responsibilities. This will make Cleveland’s 2025 OC job a bit less important than the team’s 2024 position proved to be, but the Browns canned Dorsey after one year, doing so shortly before elevating a coach who drew interest elsewhere. Rees had emerged on Mike Vrabel‘s radar as a possible Patriots option, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Vrabel, a Browns consultant this past season, had been tied to Rees before he committed to the Pats. Josh McDaniels has also surfaced as an option for Vrabel’s team.

It certainly says plenty about Rees’ stock in Cleveland that the Browns passed over far more experienced options to go with him, and if the former Fighting Irish and Crimson Tide OC fares well, HC looks will be expected in the not-too-distant future. For now, the Browns — who employed Alex Van Pelt as Stefanski’s non-play-calling OC for four years — will go with a third OC in three seasons. As they aim to find a starting QB upgrade on the underperforming Deshaun Watson (who suffered a second Achilles tear), Rees will be a key part of the team’s equation.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Coaching Rumors: Belichick, McDaniels, Patriots, Packers, Cowboys

January 14th, 2025 at 5:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bill Belichick has come up in connection to the Raiders and Cowboys’ HC jobs. Though the ties have been loose to this point, the recently hired North Carolina coach’s staff may be causing some unrest in Chapel Hill. Belichick having only hired a few assistants — including retaining interim HC Freddie Kitchens as OC and adding son Steve as DC — despite having a $10MM staff budget has made multiple staffers nervous, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio writes. This report drew a rebuke from the Tar Heels’ new GM (Michael Lombardi), who indicated (via X) the team was being diligent and had hired three more staffers Sunday.

When the Cowboys separated from Mike McCarthy on Monday, Belichick came up. Reports described a situation where mutual interest would have existed, were Belichick truly available. When Belichick-Raiders tie emerged, the prospect of a quick North Carolina departure was quickly shot down. Though, Belichick’s $10MM buyout — which drops to $1MM after June 1, impacting a potential 2026 jump (albeit at age 73 by that point) — has not spooked NFL teams thus far. The coach who once famously resigned as Jets HC in early 2000 may still be caught in NFL rumors until the Cowboys fill their post, as the rookie college HC was connected as a potential 2025 option at multiple points in 2024. Jerry Jones‘ willingness to pay Belichick’s $10MM buyout has also drawn skepticism.

For now, Belichick appears to be sticking with the Tar Heels despite having immense NFL interest last year. Here is the latest on the Dallas situation and other coaching matters:

  • One of Mike Vrabel‘s rumored options for the Patriots‘ OC job came off the board today, as the Browns promoted Tommy Rees to replace Ken Dorsey. Vrabel said Tuesday (during an appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show) he would conduct an expansive search to replace OC Alex Van Pelt, and he confirmed Josh McDaniels will be a candidate. Vrabel-McDaniels rumors have circulated for weeks now, and the underwhelming HC returning to the place where he won three Super Bowl rings as a coordinator would make sense. McDaniels has not been tied to North Carolina, despite helping Belichick as he searched for his 2025 landing spot, and has not coached since the Raiders fired him hours after the 2023 trade deadline. McDaniels and Vrabel overlapped on the Patriots from 2001-08 and have maintained a good relationship. With a possible third Pats OC stint in play, McDaniels has not been connected to any other team.
  • The Packers previously lured Tom Clements out of retirement, but their quarterbacks coach is again calling it quits, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes. Having coached Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love, Clements has been an NFL staffer since 1997. The 71-year-old assistant was with the Packers from 2006-16 under McCarthy, unretired to be the Cardinals’ QBs coach from 2019-20 and then rejoined the Pack in 2022 as QBs coach. Collecting a Super Bowl ring and being on staff for two of Rodgers’ four MVP awards, Clements was the Packers’ OC from 2012-14 and Bills OC from 2004-05.
  • In Deion Sanders, the Cowboys already looked toward an off-grid name to start their search to replace McCarthy; it is possible another will surface soon. Although Jason Witten has no coaching experience beyond the high school level, Florio names names him as a candidate to watch to rise all the way to the Cowboys’ HC post. Some in the organization believe the Dallas tight end great will ascend to the team’s HC job at some point, though Florio does not indicate he will definitively be a 2025 option. With Witten coaching at Liberty Christian School in Texas for four years, it would stand to reason the Cowboys would want him to gain some seasoning at the pro or college levels before he becomes a true consideration for the job.

Giants Exec Ryan Cowden To Join Patriots’ Front Office

January 13th, 2025 at 5:10pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

TODAY, 5:10pm: While initial reports painted Ryan Cowden as the No. 2 behind front office leader Eliot Wolf, new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel hinted that the arrangement may not be so cut and dry. During his introductory press conference, Vrabel said the team’s front office approach would feature a “shared organizational vision” (per Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal).

Vrabel said he’s already had many conversations with Wolf, although it sounds like a conversation about the front office dynamic is still to come. When discussing Cowden’s involvement in the operations, Vrabel said “nothing has been determined” while hinting that he’ll have conversations with Wolf about the definitive structure (via Giardi). At the very least, it sounds like New England’s new head coach will also have a heavy influence on how the front office operates.

TODAY, 2:40pm: Giants executive Ryan Cowden is joining the Patriots’ front office to reunite with new head coacch Mike Vrabel, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Cowden was the executive advisor to Giants general manager Joe Schoen for the last two years, but the team let him out of his contract so he can pursue this new opportunity.

Cowden is expected to be the “de facto No. 2” to Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, with a title “along the lines of VP of player personnel.” He began his front office career as a scouting assistant for the Panthers in 2000 and worked his way up to assistant director of college scouting by his departure in 2015. Cowden was then hired by the Titans to be the director of player personnel and was promoted to vice president when Vrabel came on as Tennessee’s head coach in 2018.

After the Titans fired GM Jon Robinson during the 2022 season, Cowden finished out the year on an interim basis. He was Vrabel’s preferred choice to take over the front office, but the Titans went with Ron Carthon instead. Not only did that lead to Cowden’s departure from Tennessee, it also raised tensions between Vrabel and the rest of the Titans’ leadership.

Two years later, Cowden and Vrabel are reunited in New England where they hope to turn around years of post-Tom Brady stagnation. The Patriots have a few promising players on each side of the ball, including recent first-rounders Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez, but most of the roster needs a facelift as does a culture that lacked accountability and vision from Jerod Mayo.

Patriots Hire Mike Vrabel As Head Coach

January 12th, 2025 at 11:08pm CST by Rory Parks

To no surprise, the Patriots have named Mike Vrabel as their next head coach. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was the first to report that the hire was imminent.

Just yesterday, we learned that New England and Vrabel were engaged in contract discussions, a clear sign that a deal was forthcoming. Now, just over a year after he was dismissed as head coach of the Titans, Vrabel is back in the HC ranks at the helm of the team with which he won three Super Bowls as a player.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Vrabel is the seventh person to become the head coach of a team that he once helped win a Super Bowl as a player. The sixth person on that list, Jerod Mayo, was fired by New England last week after just one season in the top job.

Mayo was owner Robert Kraft‘s hand-picked successor to Bill Belichick, and for a long time, it appeared that Mayo would be given at least another year in charge. After all, he inherited a team that was clearly in the early stages of a rebuild, and despite a few public missteps, it would have been easy to justify allowing him to return for 2025.

Last week, however, it was reported that those public “gaffes” — in conjunction with a locker room culture that may not have been as strong as some players portrayed it to be and an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Chargers in Week 17 — were conspiring to drive Mayo out of Foxborough. He was canned later that same day, shortly after the Pats’ regular season finale.

Speculatively, Vrabel’s availability may well have clinched Kraft’s decision to hand Mayo his walking papers. During his time as the Titans’ head coach, Vrabel established himself as one of the league’s better bench bosses, and he is highly-regarded for his game management and his ability to develop a strong culture predicated on accountability. The Titans posted a winning record in each of Vrabel’s first four seasons in Nashville, which included three playoff appearances and a trip to the AFC title game. He earned Coach of the Year honors following the 2021 campaign, but things took a turn for the worse over the 2022-23 seasons.

A seven-game losing streak to close out the 2022 season left Tennessee with a 7-10 record after a division title seemed to be in the cards, and the team slipped to a 6-11 mark in 2023. During that 2023 campaign, Ran Carthon‘s first as Titans GM following Jon Robinson‘s surprising firing, there was reportedly tension between Vrabel and Carthon (a situation that may have been exacerbated by the fact that the Titans hired Carthon instead of Ryan Cowden, who was Vrabel’s preferred Robinson successor).

Vrabel may have also wanted more input in personnel matters in Tennessee, a situation that will bear monitoring in New England. The Pats have already announced that they will retain executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and top front office executive Alonzo Highsmith, though as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com wrote this morning, the roles of those two men are to be determined. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reports that Cowden, who is currently serving as a personnel advisor for the Giants, will likely be added to the Patriots’ personnel department in a non-GM capacity, though he believes Wolf will retain final authority.

Another situation worth monitoring will be whom Vrabel chooses as his offensive coordinator. Josh McDaniels, a familiar face for Patriots fans, has been named as an obvious choice, and the defensive-minded Vrabel will need to get that hire right in order to maximize the potential of young quarterback Drake Maye. Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft, showed flashes as a rookie and is one of the reasons why the New England HC job was generally seen as a desirable one, and his continued development will be a top priority.

Indeed, as Reiss points out, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson — one of the most respected offensive minds in the game — was New England’s second choice. If they had offered Johnson the job, and if Johnson had accepted, the Pats would have had an ideal coach-QB pairing, but unlike Vrabel, Johnson has never had to create his own team culture. Vrabel, on the other hand, does have that experience, and the Pats are banking on his ability to properly fill out his staff.

As our head coaching search tracker shows, Vrabel was connected to each of the six teams in need of a new HC this year, further underscoring the strength of his candidacy. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Bears and Jets made “consistent and late pushes” to land him, and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic believes New York had a real shot at him until the Patriots’ job became available. Meanwhile, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports that, despite the Raiders‘ (and minority owner Tom Brady‘s) interest in Vrabel, Brady’s former teammate declined a Las Vegas interview because he knew he would be accepting the New England gig (video link).

Despite the Patriots’ 4-13 record in 2024, the presence of Maye, the hiring of Vrabel, and the prospect of the most salary cap space in the league will surely create plenty of excitement in New England in the coming months.

Mike Vrabel Expected To Become Patriots’ Next HC

January 11th, 2025 at 11:33pm CST by Ely Allen

11:33pm: As if the below reporting wasn’t enough indication of where this coaching search was headed, Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports confirmed that the Patriots are indeed negotiating a deal with Vrabel to become their next head coach. Schultz claims that, “barring something unforeseen, the expectation remains that both sides will reach an agreement.”

4:21pm: The Patriots seem to be well on their way to replacing one former player-head coach with another. After firing former linebacker Jerod Mayo after only one season as head coach, it appears that New England is narrowing in on another former linebacker to replace him. While it has already been established that former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is the “heavy favorite,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that contract talks are already underway.

In the segment, Pelissero’s colleague, Ian Rapoport, doubled down on Vrabel as the overwhelming favorite to land the job. Though he did mention that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is under heavy consideration, as well, Rapoport reports that nobody he has connected with on the subject believes anyone other than Vrabel will be hired for the job. The new information in the segment is the bit from Pelissero that the Patriots have already started contract talks with Vrabel’s agent, indicating that a decision is well underway.

This is supported by a recent report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic, who says that, while Johnson interviewed well with New England, he plans to continue meeting with other teams. She adds that the Patriots are reportedly “pushing for a quick resolution to their HC search,” with many around the league expecting a decision this weekend. With that soon of a decision expected, it’s hard to believe New England plans on hiring anyone but the person with whom they’re already discussing a contract.

Seeing the writing on the wall, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn even declined to interview for the job in New England. Glenn’s refusal to kowtow to the Patriots’ nominal attempt to fulfill the Rooney Rule with a decision already made highlights a continuing issue with New England’s hiring process. Last year, the team circumvented the rule by having a written succession plan for Mayo to take over for Bill Belichick. This year, the team seems to be scheduling interviews just to meet the requirements — at least two interviews with a minority or female candidate — despite having allegedly already made their decision. The team has currently fulfilled that requirement with interviews of former Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

Vrabel’s first stint as a head coach was widely viewed as a successful one. As a first-time head coach, Vrabel racked up a 54-45 regular season record and three consecutive postseason berths. His first trip to the playoffs resulted in a trip to the AFC Championship Game, while his next two visits were one-and-dones. He was fired by Tennessee after two consecutive losing seasons in 2022 and 2023 and served as a coaching and personnel consultant in Cleveland this year after failing to land the Chargers’ head coaching gig.

As the decision to bring on Vrabel seems to be drawing nearer and nearer, so, too, is the assumption that he will reunite Josh McDaniels with his former team. Josh Jones of CBS Sports reiterated today the prediction that McDaniels will serve as Vrabel’s offensive coordinator.

2025 NFL Cap Carryover, By Team

January 11th, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the regular season in the books, all NFL teams have declared their cap carryover for the 2025 league year. Unused cap space from the current campaign will roll over, a substantial element of many teams’ financial planning.

Last offseason saw a record-breaking jump in the salary cap ceiling (pushing the upper limit to $255.4MM). To no surprise, another spike is expected but a smaller year-to-year increase is likely to take place. It was learned last month that teams are preparing for the 2025 cap to check in at a figure between $265MM-$275MM.

As teams evaluate key roster-building decisions – including restructures and cuts aimed at manufacturing cap space – carryovers are crucial. It it still not known what exactly the cap ceiling will wind up as, but in the meantime every club’s space which has been rolled over will add a degree of clarity with respect to how their offseason will take shape. Several teams (including the top two on this year’s list) have made a concerted effort in recent years to carry unused space through the course of a campaign knowing a spike in cap charges for core players are forthcoming.

Courtesy of Over the Cap, here is the full breakdown of each team’s 2025 cap carryover amount:

  • San Francisco 49ers: $50.01MM
  • Cleveland Browns: $41.95MM
  • New England Patriots: $34.86MM
  • Las Vegas Raiders: $33.57MM
  • Detroit Lions: $23.73MM
  • Washington Commanders: $19.83MM
  • Dallas Cowboys: $18.84MM
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: $15.89MM
  • Green Bay Packers: $15.11MM
  • Tennessee Titans: $14.72MM
  • Arizona Cardinals: $11.38MM
  • Indianapolis Colts: $10.1MM
  • Seattle Seahawks: $8.42MM
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: $6.83MM
  • Philadelphia Eagles: $6.81MM
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $6.63MM
  • Atlanta Falcons: $6.07MM
  • Minnesota Vikings: $5.94MM
  • Cincinnati Bengals: $5.94MM
  • Chicago Bears: $5.08MM
  • Los Angeles Chargers: $4.89MM
  • Houston Texans: $4.81MM
  • Kansas City Chiefs: $3.15MM
  • Miami Dolphins: $3MM
  • New Orleans Saints: $2.93MM
  • Los Angeles Rams: $2.75MM
  • Baltimore Ravens: $2.14MM
  • Denver Broncos: $1.91MM
  • Buffalo Bills: $1.34MM
  • New York Giants: $1.17MM
  • Carolina Panthers: $490K
  • New York Jets: $346K

Mike Vrabel ‘Heavy Favorite’ For Patriots Job; Josh McDaniels In Mix To Return As OC?

January 9th, 2025 at 10:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Vrabel‘s Patriots interview will take place today, and with the Patriots having satisfied the Rooney Rule, they could make a hire soon. Though, both Lions coordinators — Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn — have received requests as well. Johnson’s interview is set for Friday.

Nothing, however, has emerged suggesting Vrabel’s pole position here has been threatened. The former Patriots linebacker and Titans HC is viewed as the “heavy favorite” for the New England job, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. It will be interesting to see how eager Vrabel is here, as he has also come up in just about every other search during this year’s cycle. But a Patriots offer could be on tap soon.

[RELATED: Aaron Glenn Declines Patriots HC Interview]

The Pats passed on a Vrabel pursuit last year, which certainly represented a risk since a proven HC with close ties to the team could have been scooped up shortly after his Titans dismissal. A year later, though, Vrabel is still available. This probably played into Robert Kraft‘s decision to fire Jerod Mayo so soon. Vrabel, 49, turning the Patriots down could throw this search off axis; though, Johnson’s immediate interest in taking an interview here is notable in the event the team pivots from what appears a Vrabel-centric plan.

Before the New England job became available, Vrabel connections to Josh McDaniels emerged. The northeast Ohio natives and former Patriots coworkers have stayed close, to the point OC rumors regarding McDaniels are still coming out. Buzz indeed is connecting McDaniels to being Vrabel’s OC with the Pats or another team, Fowler adds. That scenario would be the most interesting in Foxborough, as it would mean a third go-round in the role for the polarizing coach.

McDaniels has failed twice as a head coach, being fired during his second season by both the Broncos and Raiders. The unpopular leader’s days as a head coach are probably over, but he has proven to be a quality coordinator in New England. McDaniels, 48, served as Patriots OC from 2006-08 — a period that featured Tom Brady go from three-time Super Bowl winner complementing a stout defense to the All-Pro tier after a record-setting 2007 — and again from 2012-21. The latter period brought the Pats three more Super Bowl wins and elevated Brady to an unassailable perch. McDaniels’ work with Mac Jones in 2021 has also aged well, given the events of the former first-rounder’s career since, and it would stand to reason the Patriots would be interested in another reunion.

Vrabel overlapped with McDaniels throughout his playing days with the Pats, with the Bill Belichick assistant joining the team in 2001 — when Vrabel signed as a free agent — and then leaving for Denver shortly before the Matt Cassel trade sent Vrabel to Kansas City. McDaniels also has continued to communicate with Belichick, discussing potential landing spots for his former boss. He was tied to following Belichick to another NFL destination, but after the six-time Super Bowl-winning HC chose the college route, McDaniels remains unattached.

The Tar Heels kept Freddie Kitchens onboard, with a potential OC role in play, and hired ex-Raiders staffer Matt Lombardi — the son of new North Carolina GM Michael Lombardi — recently, per 247Sports.com’s Matt Zenitz. The younger Lombardi may be joining the ACC program as QBs coach, teaming with Kitchens. McDaniels has not worked since his Raiders ouster, so it will be worth monitoring a potential North Carolina trip if he is shut out of this year’s NFL hiring cycle. Though, Vrabel could certainly see to it that he isn’t.

More On Jerod Mayo’s Firing: Succession Plan, Hiring Process, Stevenson Benching

January 9th, 2025 at 6:02pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots’ succession plan for Bill Belichick clearly didn’t go as planned, as Jerod Mayo was let go after only one ugly season at the helm. However, there were cracks in the organization’s overall plan before Robert Kraft even named Mayo as his head coach.

[RELATED: Patriots Fire Jerod Mayo]

According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, Kraft’s literal succession timeline intended for Mayo to take over in 2025. When Kraft instituted his plan in 2023, he planned to give Belichick two more seasons (allowing the coach to break the all-time wins record) before Mayo would take over the gig.

That obviously didn’t come to fruition, as Belichick’s fractured relationship with the Patriots led to his ouster after that 2023 campaign. Before that, Belichick failed to mentor his successor like the organization expected (Graff notes that Belichick cut off communication with a number of coaches during his final season in New England). So, when Mayo was suddenly thrust into the HC role, he didn’t have the prerequisite mentorship that ownership had hoped for.

That could partly explain Mayo’s unusual approach to his head coaching role. The newly-named head coach first struggled to fill his coaching staff, although he curiously avoided one solution by offering incumbent defensive play-caller Steve Belichick a demotion (which the younger Belichick refused, leading to him taking a DC job at Washington). Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed of The Boston Herald report that some OC candidates were left unimpressed with Mayo’s approach during the interview process, leading to the team opting for their last interviewee in Alex Van Pelt.

Then, once the season began, Mayo reportedly struggled to discipline his players, and Graff passes along an anecdote where Mayo played cards with the players during a plane ride following a loss. Mayo also struggled with some of the seemingly simple tasks that are required from a head coach. For instance, The Boston Herald duo point to Rhamondre Stevenson‘s uncertain status in Week 17. Mayo intended to bench the RB for fumbling issues, and he communicated the lineup change to Van Pelt. The OC never relayed the message to running backs coach Taylor Embree, leading to Stevenson taking the field with the starting offense. Mayo later covered for his coordinator, but there were clear cracks in communication.

While Mayo has been the only Patriots leader to lose their job, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf has also drawn his fair share of criticism. The front office leader took some accountability for the team’s disappointing 2024 showing while admitting that some of the Patriots’ younger players didn’t develop as expected (specifically WRs Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker).

“I would say that I guess personally, what I was expecting is maybe a little bit more internal development, which is a good lesson certainly heading into next year. And that you can’t always rely on that,” Wolf said (via The Herald). “The rookie receivers didn’t have it really that much for us.”

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