Former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee, a two-time Pro-Bowler, agreed with the New England Patriots hiring of Mike Vrabel as head coach on Sunday morning of Wild Card Weekend.
McAfee Issues Terse 2-Word Post on Vrabel Hiring in New England
McAfee, an ESPN broadcaster and former NFL player, took to social media to issue a two-word post on Vrabel being hired as the new coach of the Patriots.
“Holy S***,” McAfee wrote on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
This was in response to a post from ESPN insider Adam Schefter announcing the hiring.
Homecoming: Mike Vrabel and the Patriots reached a multi-year agreement to make him New England’s next head coach, per sources.
Vrabel now is the seventh individual to become the head coach for a franchise he once helped win a Super Bowl as a player, joining Jerod Mayo, Bart… pic.twitter.com/LR3cpdHNQf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2025
McAfee has been lobbying on his show and on X for Vrabel to get the job, once it became available after Jerod Mayo was fired.
"I want Mike Vrabel to be the Head Coach of the Patriots" ~ @BostonConnr #PMSLive https://t.co/A2OTGUMedp pic.twitter.com/rvkJ9Ep6XP
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 6, 2025
Vrabel may or may not be asked to do things the “Patriot Way,” but he will be expected to compete and win right away. Owner Robert Kraft is getting older and cannot withstand a long rebuild.
Either way, it looks like Kraft got his man. Vrabel was clearly his first choice, even though others were interviewed. Kraft is looking to restore New England to its perch at the top of the AFC, and he obviously believes Vrabel is the right man for the job.
The former Tennessee Titans head coach is no stranger to the playoffs as both a player and as a coach. He steered the Titans to the playoffs in three of his six seasons at the helm.
Vrabel also took them to an AFC Championship Game with a subpar quarterback in Ryan Tannehill. It indicates he knows how to win with less, and the Patriots’ roster needs to be flipped.
Vrabel played for former Patriots HC Bill Belichick for many years and won three Super Bowls with Tom Brady. He knows what the “Patriot Way” is like, and he’s ready to embrace it.
New England wasted no time in firing Mayo, as he was terminated right after the final game in Week 18. It took less than a week to interview Vrabel and offer him the job, with the two sides agreeing on a multi-year deal.
Vrabel was one of the most highly sought-after head coach candidates. He had also interviewed with the New York Jets and the Chicago Bears, and both teams made a late push to hire him. Yet, Vrabel decided to go home to the team that made him a member of their Hall of Fame.
Vrabel will be entrusted to turn around a team that suffered through back-to-back 4-13 seasons. He has a good centerpiece in first-round draft choice Drake Maye at quarterback. Maye completed 66.6% of his passes and threw for 15 touchdowns in his rookie season.