Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel’s Top Landing Spots After Raheem Morris Named Falcons HC

Doric SamJanuary 25, 2024Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel’s Top Landing Spots After Raheem Morris Named Falcons HC0 of 2

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Another NFL coaching vacancy was filled on Thursday, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Atlanta Falcons plan to hire Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as their next head coach.

In a bit of a surprise, two highly respected coaching candidates remain on the market as Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel have yet to find their next job.

Let’s take a look at some of the options still available to Belichick and Vrabel as the market starts to shrink.

Bill Belichick1 of 2

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Arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, Belichick mutually parted ways with the New England Patriots after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl wins.

However, there didn’t appear to be much interest in Belichick when he hit the open market. The only team he interviewed with was the Falcons, and they opted to go in a different direction.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Belichick has “no known scheduled interviews,” so there’s a chance the 71-year-old will not be on the sidelines in 2024 at all.

There was some initial speculation that the Washington Commanders would be interested in Belichick, but NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported earlier this month that the team was not expected to hire him. Instead, the Commanders have recently been linked to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday that Washington scheduled a second interview with him for next week.

If Belichick goes the entire coaching cycle without being hired, perhaps a job will open up next year that will be a better fit for him. It has been speculated that Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni are on the hot seat after disappointing playoff exits this year, so taking over a perennial NFC contender could be an enticing proposition for Belichick.

Mike Vrabel2 of 2

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As for Vrabel, he remains in the running for the last two job openings on the market following his firing from the Tennessee Titans after six seasons.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Dan Graziano said “not to ignore the possibility” of Vrabel landing with the Seattle Seahawks. Graziano added that there hasn’t been “much momentum in that direction lately,” but it sounds like Vrabel is still a sleeper candidate to take over after Pete Carroll’s departure.

While there haven’t been reports linking Vrabel to the Commanders, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer called him “a good fit” for the job earlier this month. It was noted that Vrabel has a leadership style that is admired by Washington’s newly hired general manager Andrew Peters.

Similar to Belichick, Vrabel could also spend the 2024 season away from the sidelines if he doesn’t land a head coaching job or isn’t interested in a coordinator position.

Vrabel would undoubtedly remain a prime candidate during next year’s coaching cycle when teams look to make changes. Another head coach on the hot seat in 2024 is Robert Saleh of the New York Jets, so Vrabel would be an attractive choice to take over a team with aspirations of ending years of disappointment.