NFL Rumors: Rival Enamored With Mike Vrabel Before Patriots Hire

The Patriots had a dream hire in mind after they fired Jerod Mayo, but they weren’t the only ones after a high-profile candidate.

Mike Vrabel had multiple options on the table but chose to return to New England and become the franchise’s next head coach. The 49-year-old’s hiring came after he interviewed with the New York Jets, who seemed to come close to pulling the trigger on Vrabel.

“He’s a beast, man. He had any option, and he picked New England,” Dianna Russini said on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak and Bertrand” on Wednesday. “The New York Jets were in love with him. I mean, talking to that building after his interview, he set the bar so high for them that I almost think it was bad. They were like, ‘This is what we want to be.'”

New York reportedly made a “late push” on Vrabel before the Patriots hired him. There was also speculation that New England would not allow franchise Hall of Famer to be the head coach for a division rival. Vrabel ultimately felt the Patriots were the right team for him.

The Jets pivoted and hired Aaron Glenn as their head coach, and the personalities of Glenn and Vrabel could make future New York-New England matchups thrilling to watch.