The Dallas Cowboys could hire former Tennesse Titans head coach, Mike Vrabel as their next defensive coordinator. Dallas is in the market looking for a new DC after Dan Quinn bolted to the Washington Commanders. Vrabel sounds like an intriguing name after he’s expected to not land a head coaching gig this year. It’s shocking to many in the league that he and Bill Belichick will likely be without a head coaching job this upcoming season.
However, there’s still a chance Vrabel will come to Dallas to take over the Cowboys’ defense. There are reports that Belichick will likely take time off before finding his next franchise as head coach. There was an expectation that he was going to the new Atlanta Falcons coach, but talks did not go further. However, Vrabel could play it safe this upcoming season to be a part of the Dallas Cowboys.
This would likely be Mike McCarthy’s final year with the Cowboys as head coach. Vrabel could play the long game and help the Cowboys’ defense to sneak his way in to become the next head coach in 2025. This is just speculation that he could play, but he could increase his value with the team even as DC. Like Quinn, Vrabel is just looking to get his name back out there and the coordinator job is the perfect spotlight for him.
Many Tennessee Titans players are still shocked that the team moved on from Vrabel. While Dallas interviews Ron Rivera and Mike Zimmer, they could look into Vrabel if they’re not intrigued.
Dallas Cowboys Could Hire Mike Vrabel as Their Next Defensive Coordinator
His Second Chance Could Be Coming
Vrabel could be overqualified for the defensive coordinator job, but there aren’t any open NFL head coaching jobs. The former Titans coach is also a three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots. During his playing days, he knows pretty much all of how defense works due to his experience playing as a linebacker. Vrabel is a former All-Pro and Pro Bowler.
This doesn’t hide the fact of the illustrious career he put in his coaching resume. He led the Titans to four straight winning seasons before the struggles took over the last two. Vrabel helped lead Tennessee to the 2019 AFC Championship. He was also named Coch of the Year after the Titans went 12-5 in the 2021 season.
Some say there is a downside to this hire. If he becomes the defensive coordinator in 2024 then he could emerge as the next head coach if McCarthy does not receive an extension. However, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. Vrabel could help the Cowboys reach their first NFC Championship since 1995 if everything goes well. Dallas has the right spices on their defense and they could decide Vrabel as the next chef.
This is if they’re not interested in either Rivera or Zimmer, which seems unlikely. However, imagine if Vrabel could bring that same mentality he had in 2021, then it could finally look like a different Cowboys team.
What’s next for Mike Vrabel?
Despite having eight head coaching jobs becoming available during the 2024 year cycle, Vrabel did not land with a new team. There was a deranged report that came out saying Vrabel’s physical size was a factor in not getting hired as head coach. This couldn’t be the case since there were many top candidates this year who went through rounds of interviews with teams. Whatever the reason why Vrabel is not getting hired, the Cowboys could still keep him in mind.
