Former Steelers LB Interviews for Jets HC Position
The New York Jets announced on Friday afternoon that they’ve completed an interview with Mike Vrabel for their vacant head coach position. Vrabel is the second candidate to be interviewed for the job, following former Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera.
Rex Ryan also confirmed with Jake Asman on ESPN’s Rick DiPietro & Rothenberg on Monday that he expects to interview for the Jets head coach job. Ryan was the Jets head coach from 2009-2014 before being fired.
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. Vrabel spent the 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns in an advisory role on their coaching staff. Vrabel’s role with Cleveland was much in the same way that the Steelers used former NFL head coach Brian Flores two seasons ago.
An Akron, Ohio native, the Pittsburgh 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. Vrabel signed with the Patriots in 2001 after spending his first four seasons with the Steelers and won three Super Bowls in New England.
With the Patriots sitting at 3-13, Jerrod Mayo could possibly be let go after his first season as the team’s head coach. To say the least, things have not gone smoothly for Mayo in New England. There’s been speculation that Vrabel could replace Mayo.
Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith turned down the North Carolina head coach position, but he’s expected to receive strong consideration from several teams during the NFL head coach cycle in January.
One of those teams could be the New York Jets. Rich Cimini of ESPN believes the Jets have some level of interest in Smith.
“He’s kind of a dark horse candidate,” Cimini said on his “Flight Deck” podcast in early December.
Smith was in the running for the Jets HC position in 2021, but the organization hired Robert Saleh instead. Smith went on to take the head coaching job in Atlanta.
NFL insider Dianna Russini also revealed in The Athletic this summer that the Jets talked to Smith about a role helping Nathaniel Hackett. Essentially a de-facto OC position.
Smith rejected the offer, however, because the Jets were not clear about the role, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Smith also wasn’t all that interested. The opportunity to coach with Mike Tomlin and be a part of the Steelers organization was more appealing to Smith.
The Steelers play the Jets at MetLife Stadium in 2025.
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