If you are a Seattle Seahawks fan online, you’ve surely seen and heard the whispers that the team is interested in former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel for their head coach vacancy.
Up until Thursday, Jan. 18, all it’s been, though, is rumors. This has now officially changed.
“Former Titans’ HC Mike Vrabel is interviewing today with the Los Angeles Chargers, as @TomPelissero reported,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted. “The Falcons and Seahawks also are interested in talking and meeting with Vrabel, per sources.”
Seattle Times Seahawks beat writer Bob Condotta confirmed that this is the “First actual news of Seahawks interest in Vrabel.”
And there it is. The Seahawks are now in the Mike Vrabel Sweepstakes.
Mike Vrabel Was Not on the Seahawks’ Head Coach Interview List
The way the NFL works is that teams must submit a request to interview any coach that is under contact with another franchise. This is an official process, and as such, it is quickly confirmed and reported by pro football media.
Initial reports of the Seahawks’ head coach search were that general manager John Schneider requested interviews with six still-contracted coaches. These requests included Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith, Carolina Panthers DC Ejiro Evero, Las Vegas Raiders DC Patrick Graham, Los Angeles Rams DC Raheem Morris, and New York Giants OC Mike Kafka.
Despite this definitive list, rumors persisted that Vrabel is also a top candidate for the job recently vacated by Pete Carroll.
Influential Pacific Northwest sports shows like Seattle Sports radio’s “Brock and Salk” discussed the possibility, and NFL reporters like ESPN’s Dan Graziano even predicted that Vrabel would be the next Seahawks headman, but up until the Schefter report, no true NFL insiders had reported the interest.
And while this doesn’t mean that Vrabel is a sho-in for the job or that he even wants it, Schefter reporting the “interest” all but makes at least that piece gospel.
Hiring Vrabel Won’t Be Easy for John Schneider
Interest is one thing. Action is another. And competition is a whole other issue.
As Adam Schefter noted, the Chargers and Falcons also have interest in Mike Vrabel, and it wouldn’t be a shock if it comes out that the Raiders, Washington Commanders, or Panthers jumped in the fray either.
The problem John Schneider and the Seahawks will face is that, as The Athletic notes in Mike Sando’s ranking of the best open NFL coaching spots, Seattle is likely third on the list.
The Chargers have one thing no other team with an open head coaching job right now has: A top-10 quarterback in Justin Herbert. The team also has lots of high-priced talent all around the field (and is in LA), so it is an incredibly appealing position.
In Atlanta, a new coach will not have a quarterback, but he will find the offensive skill positions stocked with amazing talent like tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London, and running back Bijan Robinson. Plus, the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft will give a new coach an opportunity to get a QB.
Also, the Falcons are in arguably the worst division in football, so a new coach could come in and win the NFC South right away.
The Seahawks have a solid, though not spectacular, veteran QB in Geno Smith and good young talent on both sides of the ball. Still, these aren’t Super Bowl-winning pieces yet, and entering the NFC West with Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, and Jonathan Gannon is a daunting task for any new coach.
Why the Former Titans Coach is So In-Demand
Mike Vrabel is one of the most in-demand NFL head coaching candidates of the 2024 hiring cycle. The All-Pro linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs has had great success — relative to his situation — with the Titans.
Vrabel got the Tennessee job in 2018 at 43 years old. He took over a team with Marcus Mariota and Blaine Gabbert at quarterback and led them to a 9-7 record. The next season he got journeyman QB Ryan Tannehill and again went 9-7. That team snuck into the playoff, though, and made a run, on the back of Derrick Henry, all the way to the AFC Championship Game.
Playoff appearances followed in 2020, as the team went 11-5 and won the AFC South, and in 2021. With the roster Vrabel had in Nashville, this 54-45 was about as impressive a run as any team in football during this stretch.
Vrabel has done it on the field and on the sideline, making him a proven winner who players respect. He would be a great fit as the next Seahawks head coach if the team can convince him to come to Seattle.
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NFL Insider Finally Confirms Seahawks-Mike Vrabel Rumors