Patriots, Kraft Reportedly Have ‘Home Run’ Hire If They Fire Bill Belichick
Earlier this year, head coach Bill Belichick signed a lucrative three-year deal with the New England Patriots, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported late October on NFL GameDay Morning.
“His contract [is] one of the most closely held secrets in New England. That said, I think it’s fair to say there was some, at least, uncertainty or intrigue surrounding him,” Rapoport explained. “Now, contractually, he is locked up long-term.“
However, it seems that Belichick may not be sticking around.
Robert Kraft and the Patriots organization surely envisioned Belichick in their immediate and long-term future in the offseason. However, Kraft is clearly trying to move off the 300-win head coach after another embarrassing season.
If the Patriots do move on, it seems that owner Robert Kraft already has his successor in mind.
“Two sources close to the Patriots have independently said the same thing: They believe [Mike] Vrabel, currently the Titans’ coach, is the Krafts’ ‘home run’ choice to succeed Belichick,” the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin reported last week.
Releasing Belichick would certainly make a dent in Kraft’s net worth. Nevertheless, with the way this season is going, he’s probably willing to do anything. He and Belichick have always had their differences, so getting rid of him wouldn’t make him lose any sleep.
Vrabel reportedly signed a multi-year extension with the Tennessee Titans last year, so getting rid of him would be really bold, and really expensive. Under Vrabel, the Titans are 51-39. He also won the Coach of the Year award in 2021 after Titans went 12-5 and held the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
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