In early January 2025 Mike Vrabel finally put pen to paper and signed a multi-year contract with the New England Patriots as their new head coach, 16 years after he last played for the team as a linebacker.
The Patriots are one of the NFL’s most successful franchises in history, with the only undefeated 16-game regular season (2007), the highest postseason winning percentage (.645), and six Super Bowl championships. But the 2020s saw the team slip in the standings, and longtime coachBill Belichick parted ways with the team, with owner Robert Kraft later confirming he had fired Belichick after the team’s poor performance over the last few years.
Jerod Mayo replaced Bill as the head coach of the New England for a year before he was also let go, and the team hired Mike, who had played for the team between 2001 and 2008.
The terms of Mike’s deal have never been confirmed, but reports alleged that it was a multiyear agreement that reflected an annual salary of around $15 million.
Interestingly, NFL analysts also suggested that Mike would be safe in his role, regardless of the team’s outcome after his first year, due to the high financial burden of paying out previous contracts for Bill and Jerod. Yet in the 12 months since Mike joined, the 50-year-old has turned the Pats around, and they have made it to the 2026 Super Bowl with Drake Maye as the quarterback.
© Getty ImagesMike fired inexperienced assistants and brought in longtime, trusted colleagues, including offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, offensive line coach Doug Marrone, and passing game coordinator Thomas Brown.
Through free agency, they also brought in a new group of players, such as Milton Williams, to pair with 23-year-old Drake, whom the team drafted in 2023 with a four-year contract, and Mike placed a focus on developing Drake as a leader in the locker room; Drake ended the regular season with a 72.0% completion percentage (highest in team history).
© Getty ImagesMike was drafted in 1997 in the third round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played for four seasons. He then joined the New England Patriots as a free agent in 2001 and was a regular starter on defense during his eight-year tenure.
With the team, Mike played in two Super Bowls, winning both, and scoring a touchdown, making him the first defensive player to score a Super Bowl touchdown in 18 years.
© Sporting News via Getty ImagesHis years of experience on the field, as well as six years of head coaching experience with the Tennessee Titans, made him the perfect fit for the Patriots; a head coach who could re-establish accountability, loyalty, and a team-first mentality.
Mike was inducted into the Patriots’ Ring of Honor in late 2023.
If the Patriots win the Super Bowl on February 8, 2026, it will be the team’s seventh ring, breaking the tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most in NFL history.
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