“Mike Vrabel is a natural fit as the Patriots coach.”

Patriots

“All I’m saying is that if the position becomes available, Vrabel should be at the top of the list of expected hires.”

The rumors surrounding Mike Vrabel and his possible candidacy as Patriots head coach in 2025 and beyond continue to circulate.

Even though Jerod Mayo remains New England’s head coach, it’s far from a given that the first-year coach will remain on the sidelines – especially after a disastrous 2024 season.

If New England does indeed decide to move on from Mayo, a former Patriots player with an already established coaching life in Vrabel seems like an obvious fit with Robert Kraft and Co.

Such a sentiment is shared by ESPN NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, who noted in a new column that Vrabel would be an obvious choice for New England if there were a surprise head coaching search this winter.

“If the Patriots job opens up, Mike Vrabel makes a ton of sense as a proven head coach who also happens to be in the team’s Hall of Fame,” Graziano said. “New England wants its quarterback of the future in Maye and needs to build the culture and roster around him.

“Again, I’m not saying Mayo can’t do it. It’s possible he can, and it’s possible the Patriots decide to stick with the guy they believed in enough to make him their future coach while Belichick was still there. All I’m saying is that if the position opens up, Vrabel should be at the top of the list of expected hires.”

“That would be a natural fit,” Fowler added.

While Vrabel checks many boxes as an attractive coaching candidate in New England, it remains to be seen whether Kraft and the Patriots will leave Mayo this offseason.

While little has gone well for Mayo and New England in 2024, it’s fair to say that Kraft isn’t willing to commit to such a turnaround, especially after Mayo was seemingly tipped to be Bill Belichick’s successor five years ago.

Replacing Mayo with an experienced head coach like Vrabel may be the best move in the long term, but that would require Kraft admitting in the short term that avoiding a legitimate coaching search in 2024 was a big mistake.

“All done for (Titans coach Brian) Callahan seems a little harsh,” Graziano added. “The same goes for Mayo in New England, considering how little he had to do with that squad. Plus, ownership picked Mayo to replace Bill Belichick before Belichick was even ready, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to give up on him after one season.”

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.