Mike Vrabel won't be joining the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff, but he will be in the AFC North next season.
NFL.com’s Nick Shook wrote According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Cleveland Browns are adding Vrabel as a consultant.
“Vrabel has lots of experience as a player and coach, and he can offer valuable advice to Stefanski and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who greatly improved the defense in Cleveland in 2023, Shook wroteWe'll see if Vrabel's involvement can help the Browns make it to the postseason in 2024.
The Tennessee Titans surprisingly fired Vrabel after the 2023 season. The Titans went 13-21 under Vrabel in the past two seasons, but they won 11 and 12 games in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Following his departure from Tennessee,
members of Steelers media suggested Vrabel could join Mike Tomlin’s staff in a senior assistant position. Vrabel led
Tennessee to a 54-45 record in six seasons as head coach. He also led the team to an AFC championship game in his second season. Vrabel led Mike Vrabel Previously Linked to Steelers
Given his success in Tennessee, the media didn’t see Vrabel as a potential coordinator this season. When all the head coach positions were filled, it seemed like Vrabel might take a break for a year.
His other option was some type of senior assistant role. That's essentially what he'll be in Cleveland.
On February 2, All Steelers Talk’s Noah Strackbein and Stephen Thompson
urged the Steelers to hire Vrabel “If you can get Mike Vrabel, you go get Mike Vrabel; it’s really not a question of ability or anything,”.
Thompson said on the All Steelers Talk’s February 2 episode . “It’s a guy that I’m not even sure that you really have to seriously interview, it’s more about, ‘Hey do you want to come here?’“I think you almost write him a blank check and say, ‘Yeah, we’d love to have you here.’”
It’s not clear if the Steelers showed any interest in Vrabel. It’s also not apparent if Vrabel expressed any desire to return to the team that drafted him.
The Steelers chose Vrabel in the third round of
the 1997 NFL draft . He never started a game during four seasons in Pittsburgh. In 51 games,56 combined tackles, including 12 tackles for loss and 7 sacks. he posted After becoming a free agent, Vrabel started 140 games for the
New England Patriots Kansas City Chiefs and and played in three Super Bowls with the Patriots, earning first-team All-Pro honors during the 2007 season.. He won Could the Steelers Hire a Different Former NFL Head Coach?
Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers have valued extra head coaching experience with assistants such as Dick LeBeau, Todd Haley, and Mike Munchak. The Steelers valued that experience again this offseason,
Atlanta Falcons hiring former head coach Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator. Two years ago, the Steelers hired ex-Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores despite not having a coordinator opening.
Pittsburgh has been given the name Flores has been given the position of senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach. Instead, Thompson, Strackbein and others suggested Vrabel as a good fit for Pittsburgh this offseason, but he will instead go to Cleveland.
However, Alan Saunders of Steelers Now pointed out on March 16 that there are other former NFL head coaches available if the Steelers want to add more experience to their coaching staff.
Saunders wrote, “If the Steelers want to bring in another former NFL head coach as an analyst or consultant, there are still a couple out there, including Belichick (that’s an amusing thought), Frank Reich, Josh McDaniels and Ron Rivera.”
Saunders wrote this. Belichick, Reich, McDaniels and Rivera all served as head coaches during the 2023 season. Reich and McDaniels were both fired during the 2023 campaign..
Mike Vrabel, a potential assistant coach target for the Pittsburgh Steelers, will instead join Kevin Stefanski with the Cleveland Browns.
