Mike Vrabel has laid out three key conditions for his next job as the New York Jets interviews him for its vacant head coaching position.
Vrabel, 49, was last the head coach of the Tennessee Titans before being fired following the conclusion of the 2023 campaign. The former three-time Super Bowl-winning defensive star then took a consultancy role at the Cleveland Browns for the 2024 season while he weighed up his next career move.
According to The New York Post, Vrabel is looking like a leading candidate for the Jets job. Following the Jets’ defeat to the Minnesota Vikings in London, the franchise fired Robert Saleh and installed Jeff Ulbrich as interim for the remainder of 2024.
The Jets were just 2-3 when the franchise fired Saleh. However, the drastic measures taken with coaches failed to yield results, with the Jets heading into Week 18 with a 4-12 record. If the Jets are to land Vrabel, he has already laid out what he expects from a franchise to take up a role.
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Theres got to be clear communication with ownership, so that we understand as coaches what the expectations are, Vrabel told The Athletic. Thats so we can explain to them whats reasonable, what we can do, what we probably can do and what were going to try to do or die trying.
“I want to have a structure in place that people see the game the same way I do from an Xs and Os standpoint, from a personnel standpoint, with team-building. We would hopefully have that alignment, which is critical. And I would like to be able to say that theres a quarterback that you feel like you can win with or that theres a path to find the one that you can win with.
Vrabel wants a quarterback he’s confident the team can win with, which will pose an interesting dilemma regarding current starter Aaron Rodgers. The 41-year-old four-time NFL MVP has had a torrid two seasons in New York, with his first campaign ending after just four snaps with an Achilles tear.
His comeback wasn’t as glory-filled as the team had hoped, either, and rumors are rumbling that the Rodgers experiment will end this offseason. Star receiver Garrett Wilson’s future is also up in the air. Rodgers hasn’t ruled out retirement entirely.
“I think there’s going to be change here, and if I’m part of the change, then I just want to make sure everybody knows I have nothing but gratitude for my time here,” Rodgers admitted ahead of this weekend’s game against the Miami Dolphins.
Rodgers’ departure would see the Jets needing to trade, pick up a free agent QB, or dip into the NFL Draft. However, the 2025 quarterback pool isn’t as strong as it was in years gone by. The top two quarterbacks appear to be the Miami Hurricanes’ Cam Ward and the Colorado Buffaloes’ Shedeur Sanders.
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