The New England Patriots’ coaching transition after Bill Belichick’s exit was never as straightforward as it seemed. When Robert Kraft handed Jerod Mayo the reins in January 2024, the move felt like a long-awaited succession plan. Until it unraveled in less than a year. Reports had swirled for seasons about Mayo being groomed as Belichick’s heir. But whispers of Kraft’s true preference lingered, especially when Mike Vrabel suddenly became available after his Titans departure. 

Despite publicly backing Mayo, Kraft’s admiration for Vrabel never faded, rooted in a pivotal moment years earlier. Now, the owner’s recent comments reveal just how deep that connection ran. And why Mayo, despite his potential, was always fighting an invisible battle. Kraft’s vision for the Patriots’ future had been set long before Mayo’s brief tenure. It was shaped by a playoff loss, a leader’s grit, and a reunion waiting to happen. The truth about Jerod Mayo’s doomed Patriots tenure was hiding in Robert Kraft’s own words.

During a revealing appearance on the Up & Adams show on July 29, the owner traced his Mike Vrabel fixation back to one defining moment. That is the 2019 playoffs. It was when Vrabel’s Titans stunned New England in what became Tom Brady’s final game as a Patriot. “And then I guess that magic moment came to me when the last game Brady and Belichick ever played as a unit here… And he beat us in the playoffs,” Kraft confessed. “I looked over and I thought, he’s a guy who’s been exposed to the greatest coach, the greatest quarterback, and he was able to overcome. So ever since that moment, I’ve thought, ‘Wow, this is a guy one day we should consider to lead our efforts.'”

Kraft’s words cut far deeper than just showing a favorite coach. He practically admitted he’d already chosen Vrabel in his mind back in 2019, years before he quickly promoted Mayo last January. While Kraft had spent years telling everyone Mayo would replace Belichick, even putting it in his contract, now his glowing memories of Vrabel’s 2019 win show the hard truth: Mayo never really had the job to keep.

Back in June, Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer reported Mayo sensed the imbalance. The fired coach ‘felt wronged‘ by his abrupt dismissal after just one 4-13 season, Breer wrote. The whiplash made sense – Kraft had spent years positioning Mayo as the heir, only to pivot in a flash when Vrabel became available.

What’s most telling isn’t just Kraft’s admiration – it’s how long he’d been waiting to make this move happen.

Mike Vrabel was always Robert Kraft’s endgame

Robert Kraft’s pursuit of Mike Vrabel wasn’t some hasty rebound move – it was the culmination of a five-year courtship that began with one playoff heartbreak. When the coaching vacancy opened, Kraft admitted, “We had all kinds of people coming to us who wanted to coach here, believe it or not, and we talked to a few.”

But his mind kept returning to January 2020, when Vrabel’s Titans outmaneuvered the Patriots in what became Brady’s Foxborough farewell. “In the end, I remembered what Vrabel did in that playoff game,” Kraft revealed. “I thought of him as a player. I thought of him as a union rep. He knows how to be hard-nosed when he has to, but he’s taken on a persona where he knows how to bring out the charm and the positive side.”

Now Vrabel faces his biggest challenge yet. The Patriots didn’t just hand him the keys – they rebuilt the garage first. Young QB Drake Maye represents fresh hope, while free agency spending sprees filled roster holes. But none of that changes the brutal reality: New England won just eight games total the past two seasons, with Kraft calling them “the worst of my 31 years of ownership.” 

Vrabel proved in Tennessee he can overachieve – his 54-45 record and 2019 AFC Championship run show that. But Foxborough fans demand more than just scrappy play. As Maye learns behind that rebuilt offensive line, everyone will watch for clear improvement. Kraft’s patience hangs in the balance. 

The same coach who dragged Tennessee to an AFC title game is now in a huge battle. His past success says he’s got what it takes. Only now, Vrabel enters as the chosen one, not the underdog. He inherits a team hungry to win immediately. Each call he makes, each setback they face, each step forward – all will weigh against Kraft’s unshakable belief that Vrabel belonged here all along. The waiting game ended. The proving ground starts now.