When the NFL regular season comes to a close, it sends the head-coaching carousel into high gear. The 2025 cycle is in full swing and began with six openings across the NFL. One of those has since been filled with the New England Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel to lead the franchise after moving on from Jerod Mayo after one season.

Across the NFL, teams eliminated from Super Bowl contention are turning their focus toward a long offseason of coaching changes and contract negotiations.

Mike Vrabel made a triumphant return to New England as head coach of the Patriots on Monday. A former linebacker and Super Bowl champion under Bill Belichick, Vrabel said he felt the move back to Foxborough, Mass., was right "in his soul." Vrabel previously coached the Tennessee Titans and spent last season as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns.