Mike Vrabel: ‘Nothing surprises me’ about being fired as Tennessee Titans coach

Former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, now a consultant for the Cleveland Browns, said Tuesday that “nothing surprised me” about his exit from the Titans organization following last season.

Vrabel was fired on Jan. 9 following six seasons as Titans coach, including three playoff appearances. Tennessee had a losing record in Vrabel’s final two seasons, including a 6-11 mark in 2023.

“This is my 25th NFL training camp, so I would say that nothing surprises me in the NFL,” Vrabel said during a media availability in Cleveland about his exit from the Titans. “That’s part of the job. I think it’s disappointing. I think you’re disappointed that you couldn’t do the job the way that they wanted it or they envisioned it.”

Vrabel was reportedly interviewed by at least three NFL teams with head coaching openings, including the Chargers, Falcons and Panthers. But those teams hired someone else, leaving Vrabel to wait for January 2025 for the next round of NFL head coaching openings.

“There’s 32 flavors in this league, and everybody does it a little differently,” Vrabel said. “So, it’s been fun to be a part of (the Browns) and try to help where I can and most especially learn.”

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Vrabel is assisting with coaching tight ends during training camp but won’t have a gameday role during the regular season. Vrabel, from Akron, was hired by Cleveland as a consultant working with the coaching and personnel staffs, returning to his home state.

Vrabel and Browns backup quarterback Jameis Winston have undertaken a routine during training camp, a sprint race between the two after a set of reps.

2018: 9-7 record, finished 3rd in AFC South

2019: 9-7 record, finished 2nd in AFC South and earned wild card berth; won at Patriots in AFC Wild Card round, won at Ravens in AFC Divisional round, lost at Chiefs in AFC Championship Game

2020: 11-5 record, won AFC South; lost to Ravens in AFC Wild Card round

2021: 12-5 record, won AFC South and No. 1 seed in AFC; lost to Bengals in AFC Divisional round

2022: 7-10 record, finished 2nd in AFC South

2023: 6-11 record, finished 4th in AFC South