According to one prominent New York Jets reporter, Mike Vrabel legitimately had a chance to be manning their sidelines this season. Appearing on SNY, Connor Hughes indicated that the current New England Patriots head coach was very high on the Jets’ list of candidates in the previous off-season.
“The Jets interviewed Mike Vrabel and I cannot express how much they loved him, and they wanted him,” Hughes told Andy Vasquez on the “Jets Final Drive” show. “He was their 1.1. They wanted Mike Vrabel more than anything else, so much so that I heard that when he was on his way to take the Patriots job, they made a last-second call to say, ‘Is there anything we can do to give you this job? Full control, more money, what do you want? What can we do to change your mind?'”
After a consulting stint with the Cleveland Browns in 2024, Vrabel interviewed with the Jets on Jan. 3. Two days later, the Patriots would fire Jerod Mayo following the Patriots’ season finale win over the Buffalo Bills. Then, on Jan. 12, Robert Kraft hired Vrabel to be the next head coach of the Patriots.
How close did the Pats come to missing out on their guy? Hughes believed that Vrabel’s interest in New York was no dog and pony show.
“Truthfully, I know this from talking to people close to Vrabel,” Hughes said, “He did not use the Jets as this toy. He wasn’t just playing with them just to have some fun and then shipping them off and completely ignoring them. He was as interested in the Jets as the Jets were interested in him. If the Patriots job had not opened, I genuinely believe that Mike Vrabel was going to take the Jets job.”
The Jets interviewed various candidates, including former Panthers and Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, former Jets and Bills head coach Rex Ryan, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator and former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley, and many others. Ultimately, the Jets hired former Detroit Lions head coordinator Aaron Glenn.
With Vrabel at the helm, the 8-2 Patriots are the top team in the AFC East and look like they have an MVP quarterback in Drake Maye. The Jets are currently 2-7 and moved on from key defensive players Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner at the NFL Trade Deadline.
The Patriots will host the Jets tonight on “Thursday Night Football.”
