Mike Vrabel Returns to Face the Titans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mike Vrabel congratulated Brian Callahan when Tennessee hired him as Vrabel’s successor as the Titans’ head coach.

Vrabel also texted Callahan after being fired six games into his second season.

“I just remember all those coaches or people that reached out after I was let go,” Vrabel said. “I think that that’s important because nobody texts when you lose, they all text when you win. So, it’s a good reminder.”

Vrabel returns Sunday to coach against the franchise that gave him his first NFL head coaching job. He spent six seasons with the Titans and had three playoff berths, two AFC South titles, an AFC championship appearance and a 54-45 record.

With the New England Patriots 4-2 and sitting atop the AFC East in his first season, Sunday is Vrabel’s opportunity to remind Titans fans and ownership what they lost by firing him in January 2024. Being on the other sideline will be a little different.

“There’s a lot there to unpack outside of the interesting fact that I used to coach in Tennessee,” Vrabel said.

Not only was Callahan fired after a 1-5 start and 4-19 record, the Titans are 10-30 in a skid that started under Vrabel. Mike McCoy will debut as the Titans’ interim coach, his first head coaching job since being fired by the San Diego Chargers at the end of the 2016 season.

“This is the NFL,” McCoy said. “We all have a job to do.”

The Patriots will be following Vrabel’s approach ignoring all the attention that goes along with the coach’s return to Tennessee.

“He’s not treating it like a big deal, so it’s kind of bleeding into us,” Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said. “We’re treating it like another week, another opponent, and treating it the same. The way he’s handling it is the right way.”

Stay focused

The Patriots already have matched their win total for each of the past two seasons and are not thinking ahead. Safety Jaylinn Hawkins said he gets the sense that New England is doing a good job at prioritizing improvement and letting results stem from that.

“We’re not really worried about the ‘he say-she say,’” Hawkins said. “I call it poison. It reminds you of poison. We’re not getting too high or too low. We’re trying to stay ready.”

It’s also why Vrabel doesn’t want his team motivated to win in Tennessee because of him.

“We’re not trying to win one for the Gipper here,” Vrabel said. “We’re just trying to make sure these guys are focused on improving.”