It doesn't sound like Mike Vrabel will be available to the New England Patriots if they decide to part ways with head coach Bill Belichick before the 2024 NFL season.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported earlier this week that the Tennessee Titans aren't interested in trading Vrabel.
"Based on multiple conversations with high-ranking Titans officials, the franchise strongly and collectively believes it has the right coach for long-term success," Russini wrote Thursday.
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The only way for the Patriots to get Vrabel as their next head coach in the offseason would be via trade because he's under contract with the Titans for 2024.
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Vrabel owns a 51-41 record as the Titans' head coach, which includes three playoff appearances since he took over in 2018. However, the Titans currently have a 3-7 record (second-worst in the AFC) and likely will miss the postseason for the second consecutive campaign.
Vrabel knows the Patriots very well from his playing career, during which he won three Super Bowl titles as a Patriots linebacker. He was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in October.
Vrabel is a defensive-minded coach, similar to Belichick. You could make the argument that if the Patriots do part ways with Belichick, the franchise should target an offensive-minded head coach as his replacement, especially if the team selects a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. New England has the second-lowest scoring offense this season.
Belichick's future -- and who might replace him if his Patriots tenure ends over the next couple months -- will continue to be a topic of much debate and conversation in New England.
The Patriots entered Week 12 at 2-8, tied with the Arizona Cardinals for the second-worst record in the league. The last time the Patriots won just two of their first 10 games was 2000, which was Belichick's first season in charge.