On Mike Vrabel's First Day on the Job, Let's Remember How He Got Fired in Tennessee Because the Owner Hated How Much He Loved Being a Patriot

So far, so good. So very, very good. 

Mike Vrabel's introductory presser as Patriots head coach was everything everyone who'd been hoping he'd get the job could've possibly wanted. Like I said yesterday when he first took the job, the team he's taking control of has a broken culture. One that's been in decline for years. The sort of subtle, but unmistakable societal downward trend Rome experienced in the 5th century once the Visigoths let themselves in, raided the refrigerator, put their feet on the furniture and started ordering Video on Demand. 

Even toward the end of Bill Belichick's tenure, it seemed self evident that some players were turning him out, no matter how many times he tried to make an example of Jack Jones or how much time Kendrick Bourne spent in Matt Patricia's doghouse. And that decline only seemed to pick up speed on Jerod Mayo's watch, with completely expendable rookies like Javon Baker missing bedcheck and Jahlani Tavai dumping on Patriots fans even after being told not to.

With that, the major takeaway from Vrabel's press conference is that there's someone in charge once again who's going to hold everyone accountable. Re-establish the Team First approach that was the rock upon which the Dynasty was built. And construct a roster that plays fast, protects the quarterback, and dictates tempo on offense. A here's a half-case variety pack of quotes to give you the flavor:

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If this summer, I find myself at an outdoor venue on a perfect day, drunk as lab rat on quality IPAs listening to Yacht Rock, it would not be music as sweet to these hairy Boomer ears as Mike Vrabel's comments. Which were spoken with the authority of someone who can make this case to his wide receiver room:

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Which circles me back to the Twitterati who've been insisting since this process began that Vrabel is uniquely unqualified for this job. I say again, I have nothing against Ben Johnson. For all we know, he'll walk through the front door at his new job and instantly morph into Sean McVay. But this franchise's problems run deep, exist in all aspect of the football team, and aren't going to be fixed by schemes, route combinations, complex motion packages, analytics or 4th down probabilities. It's going to take competence and experience, which is exactly why Vrabel is the perfect person to be handed the whistle right now. 

But just on an emotional, spiritual level, it's important right now to look back at how he became available in the first place. He spent 2024 underemployed as a consultant in Cleveland and starts 2025 as the head coach in Foxboro precisely because he committed the crime of loving the Patriots. Too much so for the liking of Tennessee Titans ownership. From just over one year ago today:

If you've been looking for some clarity on why Titans owner Adam Adams Strunk ordered a Code Red on one of the most respected head coaches her franchise has ever had, you won't get it from her. Aside from saying virtually nothing in this safe, highly edited interview with the Titans' play-by-play guy (WARNING: This thing is duller than C-SPAN, so don't play it while operating heavy machinery. Better still, don't play it at all):

Fortunately, we've got Ian Rapoport to bring the situation into focus. And to confirm that while there were a few factors, the underlying reason was one of the oldest motivations in the history of the human race: 

Hurt feelings. Specifically, the hurt feelings that happens when you see your significant other hanging around with their ex. Whom they obviously still have good feelings toward:

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"This was Amy Adams Strunk making the decision based on a LOT of things. Including what happened when he went to New England for the Hall of Fame thing, and not dispelling rumors in house that he was going to be the Patriots coach."

Like I said then, green is not a good color on Amy Adams Strunk. She couldn't handle the fact that her team was not Vrabel's first love. Something he made clear months earlier when he was inducted into Mr. Kraft's team Hall of Fame:

You never forget your first love. Fortunately for Vrabel, and us, he didn't have to. His old flame was only seeing its last head coach. They weren't in a committed relationship. And now that he's welcomed back in with arms wide open, he can used that first person plural pronoun again without getting his owner all jealous. Because he has the same affection. 

So welcome back to fold. The 2025 season is still nine months away, but it's already off to the best start imaginable. 

Now come the days of The King. May they be blessed.