Barring any unforeseen occurrences, this offseason’s NFL’s head coaching carousel has come to a stop and Mike Vrabel finds himself without a seat.
That no other team hired the former New England Patriots linebacker after he was fired by the Titans has come as a surprise to many, as he was largely considered to be one of the NFL’s better head coaches during his six-year run in Tennessee.
Appearing on the latest episode of The Athletic Football Show, Dianna Russini discussed the surprising nature of Vrabel going un-hired. In doing so, The Athletic’s NFL Senior Writer revealed an interesting theory that was shared with her during last week’s Senior Bowl.
“I don’t think that there was a fit for him. I don’t think he sat in front of any owner who thought that his style was going to work for what they were looking for,” Russini said. “Do you know I had a GM at the Senior Bowl who mentioned to me Vrabel’s physical build? That he’s a very large human being and can be very intimidating to people in an organization that are going to be part of these decisions. And that is a factor. Which, I laughed. I said, “Stop. That’s not something that’s real. Who cares what someone physically looks like?
“And he said, ‘I’m just telling you, I’ve been in rooms, and somebody’s physical presence can make a difference.”
As one might imagine in today’s day and age of aggregation, the theory shared by Russini — who has dominated the reporting regarding Vrabel’s departure from Tennessee — caught on. Do a quick Google search for “Mike Vrabel” on Tuesday and no fewer than a dozen stories regarding the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year not getting another job because of his physical build will appear.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Russini clarified that the anonymous general manager’s theory was nothing more than that.
“l absolutely laughed at the notion, but the GM followed up by saying, ‘I’m just telling you, I’ve been in rooms. And somebody’s physical presence can make a difference,'” Russini said. “However, this is not the reason despite it being a very entertaining theory.”
l absolutely laughed at the notion, but the GM followed up by saying, "I'm just telling you, I've been in rooms. And somebody's physical presence can make a difference”
However, this is not the reason despite it being a very entertaining theory. https://t.co/CJUgMOfmg5
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) February 6, 2024
It’s worth noting that Russini’s original sharing of the story didn’t include any inference that Vrabel was actually passed on because of his size, rather, it was a theory espoused to her by a general manager. Considering that detail was largely absent from the stories aggregating her podcast appearance, it’s understandable why she would issue a clarification as the story caught on.
While aggregation in sports media is nothing new, it’s always important that such stories apply proper context. Hopefully this doesn’t prevent Russini from speaking freely and continuing to share her unique insight into the league moving forward.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.