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Mike Vrabel was unable to land a new gig as a head coach in the NFL after every team with a void filled the position, and one insider floated an interesting theory to explain why that was the case by suggesting his physical presence is literally scaring away potential suitors.
As you likely know, Mike Vrabel made a name for himself as a linebacker who was best known for what he was able to achieve during his time with the New England Patriots (an eight-year stretch where he secured three Super Bowl rings).
Vrabel’s playing career came to an end in 2010 after 14 seasons, and he spent a few years coaching at Ohio State (his alma mater) before the Texans hired him to coach players at the position he mastered with the help of the 6’4″, 270-pound frame he put to good use on the gridiron.
He worked his way up the ranks before attracting the attention of the Titans, who took a bit of a leap of faith by bringing him on as head coach in 2018. Vrabel posted a winning record during his inaugural season and led them to the playoffs three years in a row after they punched their ticket to the postseason the following year, but he was let go after going 6-11 in 2023.
It was safe to assume some teams would at least be interested in kicking the tires on someone who’s gone 54-45 as a head coach in the NFL, and while Vrabel sat down for interviews with the Falcons, Panthers, and Chargers, all of those teams ultimately opted to go in another direction.
Why? Well, there are obviously plenty of factors that could be taken into account, and on Monday, Dianna Russini used The Athletic Football Show to imply teams are intimidated by Vrabel and may be wary of hiring him because he’s “a very large human being.”
Full quote for context pic.twitter.com/ZsFNaVwIPK
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) February 5, 2024
Vrabel certainly isn’t a tiny dude, but he’s not exactly an anomaly in a league filled to the brim with freakishly large players (not to mention another intimidatingly large coach in the form of Dan Campbell).
It’s also kind of hard to believe a team in a league built on a foundation of testosterone, masculinity, and bravado would view the qualities Vrabel is supposedly being penalized for as a negative; if someone is going to be afraid to stand up to a head coach because he’s bigger than they are, they probably shouldn’t be working in an NFL front office in the first place.
What a world.