NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Poor communication, misinterpreted statements and misunderstandings contributed to Mike Vrabel's six-year tenure with the Tennessee Titans coming to a surprise end this week.
A climax of events led to his dismissal. This included Vrabel suggesting during general manager Ran Carthon's offseason hiring that Carthon was not ready for the job, and owner Amy Adams Strunk disagreeing with that sentiment. Strunk eventually came to believe that her faith in Vrabel was not reciprocated and was also unhappy that Vrabel visited New England in October and was inducted into the Patriots' Hall of Fame, nearly a dozen prominent people inside and outside the organization said told The Athletic on condition of anonymity.
Vrabel had a 56-48 record in six seasons, including 2-3 in the playoffs, reached the AFC title game in his second season and was named the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year. He also went just 13-21 over the last two seasons and lost 18 of his last 24 games. Strunk said in a statement that the Titans would “benefit from the fresh approach and perspective of a new coaching staff.”
Here's what multiple team and league sources said to explain why it came to an end for Vrabel in Nashville:
• The Titans wanted to evolve and modernize their behind-the-scenes process this season. An important part of this was building a roster with increased reliance on analytics. Vrabel had no aversion to the use of analytics on the field – he and his coaching staff believed they used data-driven decision-making as much as anyone else and were widely praised around the league for being one of the NFL's best situational football teams . However, coaches never felt informed about how the new personnel department used analytics in its process, a team source said.
The Titans' ownership was guided by Carthon's vision – shaped by his time with the San Francisco 49ers, one of the NFL's best-run organizations – and his organizational framework, with support from assistant GMs Chad Brinker and Anthony Robinson. The question was whether Vrabel would agree to the change in approach.
According to a team source, the Titans considered leaving Vrabel for a fresh start after last season, but Strunk still believed Vrabel was a great coach and worth keeping. The hope was that an arranged marriage between Carthon and Vrabel would work because both men had shown a willingness to adapt. Vrabel hoped that Ryan Cowden — then the Titans' vice president of player personnel and now executive advisor to the New York Giants' GM — would replace Robinson. But Vrabel was never told it would be Cowden.
Although it is common for existing staffs to work through the next NFL Draft when a new GM is hired shortly before that draft, Cowden led the Titans' entire 2023 draft board to help keep the process organized. He was released immediately after being drafted. He has repeatedly drawn general manager interest from other NFL teams and was close to getting the GM job with the Steelers last year.
• During the hiring process to replace GM Jon Robinson, who was fired by Strunk at the end of last season, Vrabel made two comments to Strunk that caused tension between them, three team or league sources said. Vrabel wanted full control of the squad and said he earned it, and Strunk clearly disagreed. Strunk has held the belief over the years that head coaches should not have full control. He referenced the way things went for the Titans in the later years of Jeff Fisher's tenure and watched from afar the problems that transpired for the Patriots with Bill Belichick and Bill O'Brien with the Texans .
When Carthon was close to getting the job, Vrabel told Strunk that he liked Carthon but didn't feel like he was ready to be an NFL general manager. Vrabel's suggestion: The Titans hire Carthon as assistant GM, a promotion from his position as No. 3 in the 49ers' pecking order. Strunk did not take this suggestion well and team sources believe that the relationship between her and Vrabel took a hit as a result of this conversation.
By the end of that season, Strunk (center) and Vrabel maintained a warm, cooperative relationship, in which Vrabel was arguably the most prominent face of the Titans organization. (George Walker IV / USA Today)
• Vrabel spent the Titans' farewell week in Foxboro, Massachusetts, as a guest of owner Robert Kraft to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Vrabel had won three Super Bowls as a player with New England, and in a speech to the crowd before a Patriots win over the Bills on Oct. 23, Vrabel said, “I don't want you to take this organization for granted.” I was in many places, this is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great leadership and great coaching. Enjoy it. That’s not the case everywhere.”
The speech caused a stir in Tennessee. When he returned to Nashville, Vrabel was asked by reporters during a press conference if his comments were directed at the Titans organization. He said: “(The Patriots) have won six Super Bowls in 20 years, that’s what I alluded to. I don't know what to tell you. It's just a huge success. … The big success they had there, the whole message was, just for me and the former players and everything, just don't take things for granted.”
The whole event didn't sit well with Strunk, a team source said. She and Vrabel never talked about it, but she let it fester.
• Following this visit, various reports emerged about the relationship between Vrabel and Carthon. Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal, who has covered the Patriots for several years, wrote in an article that this relationship was one reason Vrabel “might be looking for a way to leave Tennessee by force.” The Boston Globe reported, that Patriots owner Robert Kraft considered Vrabel his “home run choice” to replace Belichick.
Vrabel didn't address any of this with Carthon or Strunk. This lack of communication increased the tension between them, although the relationship between Vrabel and Carthon remained friendly. Those close to Vrabel said the head coach approached the whole thing like, “Why do I have to deal with inaccurate information and hoaxes?” Carthon also told people he “didn't listen to the noise, it's all a waste of time .”
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• Senior Titans sources told The Athletic in November that the team's long-term plan was to keep Vrabel as coach. After Vrabel was fired, a team source said that this was done at the time because Strunk was a strong believer in Vrabel at the time – and because she wanted Vrabel to have a clear idea of how she felt about him and how much she wanted him to come coach for years. Strunk didn't feel like Vrabel felt the same way, and communication between them deteriorated from there.
• Strunk left Miami's Week 14 game against the Dolphins early, believing they would lose after falling behind 27-13 with 4:34 left in the fourth quarter. Vrabel called for a two-point conversion after a late touchdown pass, and the Titans eventually won 28-27 on Derrick Henry's touchdown run. Even though the Titans won, a member of the team's analytics team didn't think Vrabel should have gone for two on that late touchdown.
Strunk was thrilled that the Titans had made it, but a week later the Titans lost in overtime to the Texans and the owner was visibly upset by the loss. That's when several members of the Titans team believed she had made up her mind: she wanted to leave Vrabel. She consulted with several others in NFL circles about the decision, but ultimately the decision was entirely hers – with no input from Carthon.
The Titans ended the season with a 28-20 win over the Jaguars on Sunday, eliminating Jacksonville from the playoffs. For almost 48 hours, coaches and players wondered whether Vrabel was safe in his job. It was a painful time, especially for families. As more and more time passed without hearing anything, many believed he would return. Henry told The Athletic that the team did not know that releasing Vrabel was even a possibility.
On Tuesday at 11 a.m. CT, Vrabel met with Strunk and team president Burke Nihill for a two-minute meeting. They told Vrabel that they appreciated his time with the Titans, but that they were moving in a new direction. He was fired. There were never any discussions between the organization and Vrabel about trading him to coach another team or restructuring his power so he could stay with the Titans. Vrabel is expected to be a hot commodity for other open positions in the NFL – including in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington and New England.
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(Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)