It’s recently become quite clear that Mike Vrabel is the top choice for the New England Patriots as they look for their next head coach, but it sounds like there’s a possibility they could miss out on hiring him.
After firing Jerod Mayo earlier this month, the Patriots have spent the past several days searching for his successor.
According to a report from Nicole Yang of the Boston Globe, the team has zeroed in on Mike Vrabel to take over that role and are currently negotiating the terms of a contract.
“The Patriots have entered contract negotiations with their lead head coaching candidate Mike Vrabel, according to a league source,” Yang wrote for the Boston Globe.
“Although a deal has yet to be finalized, Vrabel remains the favorite for New England’s head coaching opening after interviewing Thursday. The Patriots also interviewed Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Friday, in addition to Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton on Tuesday. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn denied their initial request for an interview.”
But it sounds like there’s a chance those negotiations hit a snag.
Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal confirmed that Vrabel and the Patriots have indeed begun contract negotiations, but he also suggested that “money will matter,” implying that the Patriots might not be willing to offer Vrabel the contract that he desires from the team.
“Yes they have. And money will matter,” Giardi said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
This sparked concern for Mike Kadlick of SI.com.
“The worst look here would be losing Mike Vrabel — if he is your top choice — because of the money,” he said in a post on X.
Needless to say, it sounds like it might be a bit premature to pencil in Vrabel as the team’s next head coach.
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