The Cleveland Browns are permitting Mike Vrabel to leave the team before the end of the regular season, according to a league source. The move allows him to interview for head coach openings immediately.
Vrabel spent the 2024 season as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Browns, taking the job after he didn’t land a head-coaching gig last offseason. He was fired by the Tennessee Titans in January.
Vrabel is considered one of the top candidates for this hiring cycle, largely because of his reputation around the league and the success he had with the Titans — a 54-45 record, four winning seasons, three playoff runs and an AFC Championship appearance in 2019, despite the lack of a top-end quarterback. The Titans are 3-13 this season under first-year coach Brian Callahan.
The New York Jets and New Orleans Saints are expected to target Vrabel, according to league sources, and he’s expected to draw interest from other franchises. The Chicago Bears’ job is available, and others are expected to open up this offseason, including the Las Vegas Raiders’, Jacksonville Jaguars’ and possibly New York Giants’.
Another potential landing spot: the New England Patriots, if they decide to move on from Jerod Mayo after a disastrous first season. Vrabel played eight seasons for the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls, and was inducted into their Ring of Honor in 2023.
Vrabel is expected to prioritize openings with a positive ownership situation and teams with either a quality quarterback in place or a path to getting one in the near future.
With the Browns, Vrabel assisted general manager Andrew Berry in scouting prospects leading up the 2024 NFL Draft, then became a part of Cleveland’s player development coaching program under head coach Kevin Stefanski. He also worked with the team’s tight ends and offensive linemen.
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