The New England Patriots made the first move in the 2025 NFL coaching carousel this weekend when they officially named Mike Vrabel as the franchise's 16th head coach.
Vrabel was among the hottest commodities on the market— and also interviewed with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears before landing in New England. At his press conference on Monday, he gave a simple reason for why he ultimately landed with the Pats:
"It was clear to me, and to my family, and my soul, that this was the place that I wanted to be."
Makes sense, considering that during his playing career in New England, the 49-year-old won three Super Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro linebacker in 2007.
Given all of the nostalgia surrounding the hire, Patriots.com captured some pretty incredible behind-the-scenes views of Vrabel's first day on the job in Foxborough. Here's a look at the full album:
Arguably the coolest photo? This one of Vrabel taking a picture of himself—on the Gillette Stadium video board—as the team's next head coach:
Pretty surreal.
The Patriots have plenty of work this offseason following a tough 2024 campaign. Alongside Eliot Wolf and new front office member Ryan Cowden—whom Vrabel was able to poach from the New York Giants—New England and its new coach have nearly $130 million in cap space to work with to turn over the roster.
They also have what looks to be a franchise quarterback in Drake Maye—giving fans in Foxborough plenty of hope moving forward.
