NFL insider shares why Mike Vrabel might leave Titans

The Tennessee Titans have been trending in the wrong direction over the past two seasons, and that has led to some speculation that the team could part ways with Mike Vrabel. One NFL insider seems to think it is a legitimate possibility.

Michael Lombardi spoke about Vrabel during the latest episode of the former NFL executive’s “GM Shuffle” podcast, which was released on Monday. Lombardi said there are some “real issues” between Vrabel and the Titans’ front office, specifically general manager Ran Carthon.

The most interesting tidbit Lombardi shared is that Vrabel’s contract is set to expire after the season.

“I know Vrabel’s contract’s up,” Lombardi said, as transcribed by Mike Kadlick of WEEI.com. “They wanna keep Vrabel, but I think Vrabel’s not happy with the setup that he has.”

If true, that would surprise a lot of people. Head coach contracts are not made public, but the Titans announced prior to the 2022 season that Vrabel had signed an extension that would keep him in Tennessee “for years to come.” Vrabel had been entering the final year of his previous deal at the time. It was assumed that he signed a multi-year extension, but Lombardi says only one year was added. Vrabel’s salary for 2022 was probably increased, too.

That is very noteworthy. A report earlier this season claimed New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft views Vrabel as his “home run choice” to replace Bill Belichick. If Vrabel is not under contract with the Titans in 2024, the idea of him returning to New England — where he won three Super Bowls is a player — is not as farfetched as it initially sounded.

The Titans fell to 5-11 with their blowout loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. They missed the playoffs last year as well. Despite that, all indications have been that the team believes Vrabel remains the right man to have in charge. If the 48-year-old decides he wants a fresh start elsewhere, that will not matter much.