Mike Vrabel is downplaying the emotional weight of his return to face the Tennessee Titans, but the Week 7 matchup carries clear significance for the New England Patriots‘ head coach.
Vrabel was fired by the Titans after the 2023 season and will compete against his former team for the first time since that departure.
In six seasons, Vrabel built a competitive team before the organization decided to go in a different direction.
Leading up to the game, the former NFL linebacker has downplayed the emotional component of the contest.
“We’re not trying to win one for the Gipper here,” Vrabel said.
Vrabel was asked about #Patriots players trying to win Sunday’s game for him in his return to Tennessee: “We’re not trying to win one for the Gipper here.”
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) October 15, 2025
Vrabel’s comment made it clear that he isn’t leaning on nostalgia or personal motivation, just the focus and execution of his current team.
From 2018 to 2023, Vrabel posted a 54-45 record with Tennessee and was NFL Coach of the Year for the 2021 season, when the Titans earned the AFC’s top seed.
They won division titles in 2020 and 2021 and reached the AFC Championship Game once in three playoff appearances.
However, back-to-back losing seasons prompted the Titans to move on.
Ironically, the Titans fired his replacement, Brian Callahan, leading into this game with assistant Mike McCoy taking over.
As for the Patriots, they are on a three-game winning streak, which is their best run since 2022, and quarterback Drake Maye has become a candidate for NFL MVP with a strong start to his second season.
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