New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is closing his second head coach since firing Bill Belichick.
Jerod Mayo was hand picked to replace the man who brought six Super Bowl titles to Foxborough.
But the heir apparent lasted just a season as he took a threadbare roster to 4-13.
Former Pats star Mike Vrabel, who won Coach of the Year with the Tennessee Titans in 2021, is the hot favorite to take over and has had plenty of interest, including Tom Brady‘s Las Vegas Raiders.
He has interviewed with the New York Jets, and the Chicago Bears have him on their list but the Boston Globe are reporting, per a league source, that contract negotiations are now underway between Vrabel and the Pats.
ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi won three rings alongside fellow linebacker Vrabel in New England and urged Kraft and son Jonathan to let his former teammate dig them out of a hole.
“I gotta say something about my former team the New England Patriots, who have been absolutely a mess the last couple years in how they’ve handled things,” Bruschi said Saturday.
“The only way to fix this is to hire Mike Vrabel, I’m telling you right now.
“A coach that can come in there and doesn’t just lead men, but can lead football players. Knows how to reach football players and deal with that ownership, fix the organization.”
Former Patriots are lining up to slam the ownership.
Rob Gronkowski was on Fox NFL Sunday in Week 18 and insisted Mayo had been hung out to dry.
“To happen that soon was a shocker to a lot of people,” he said. “Especially here at the desk. We were all surprised by that.
GettyRobert Kraft is looking for a new coach alongside son and president Jonathan[/caption]
“I think it was unfair to coach Jerod Mayo. I mean, he never had the chance to develop as a head coach. He was just a rookie himself in that department.
“If you judge a coach by their first year, that’s really not appropriate. Jimmy Johnson, you went 1-15 in your first year and you won a couple Super Bowls after that.”
Gronk was cut off by a commercial break and had more to share when he returned, although his stance had softened.
“I was surprised by that,” he added. “Rookie head coach. The roster that he was handed wasn’t that prominent. It’s tough, it’s a tough situation in New England.
“Obviously, Mr. Kraft didn’t see Jerod Mayo being that culture builder that he was hoping to be over the last season.
“And obviously Mr. Kraft has a plan as well going forward. Probably hoping to get Mike Vrabel.
“There is some rumbling out there as well that Josh McDaniels may come back as well as offensive coordinator.”
The Patriots have also spoken to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, and former Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who has plenty of offers on the table, decided not to meet with the organization.
Vrabel has also sat down with New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.
It is being reported that Kraft is in a hurry to make a move so he can begin planning for next season.
“The Patriots are pushing for a quick resolution to their HC search,” insider Dianna Russini wrote on X. “Many around the league expect a decision this weekend.”
Whoever does take over will have a potential star under center in Drake Maye and the fourth pick in April’s NFL Draft.
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