Browns Hire former Steelers LB Mike Vrabel as Analyst

The Cleveland Browns have hired former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and ex-Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel for an advisory role on their coaching staff, according to NFL Network.

Vrabel was unexpectedly fired as the head coach of the Titans after the 2023 season, and was left out of the NFL coaching carousel this offseason.

The Browns will utilize Vrabel as an advisor and consultant to head coach Kevin Stefanski, much in the same way that the Steelers used former NFL head coach Brian Flores two seasons ago.

The Steelers did not replace Flores in that role in 2023, after he left to become the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. They do have one former NFL head coach on their staff in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

Vrabel had been expected to draw significant interest as a head coach candidate, especially with the New England Patriots moving on from Bill Belichick. Vrabel signed with the Patriots in 2001 after spending his first four seasons with the Steelers and won three Super Bowls in New England.

But the Patriots went with another ex-linebacker, Jerod Mayo, as head coach.

An Akron, Ohio native, the Steelers drafted Vrabel in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played 51 games for the team, recording 56 tackles, four tackles for loss and seven sacks.

If the Steelers want to bring in another former NFL head coach as an analyst or consultant, there are still a couple out there, including Belichick (that’s an amusing thought), Frank Reich, Josh McDaniels and Ron Rivera.