Seahawks Rumors: Mike Vrabel Sleeper Candidate for HC Job amid Dan Quinn Buzz

Conventional wisdom suggests Dan Quinn is the favorite to become the next head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, but one person who could play spoiler is Mike Vrabel.

ESPN's Dan Graziano said "not to ignore the possibility" of Vrabel in Seattle, though he did admit there hasn't been "much momentum in that direction lately."

It's not even clear if Vrabel is on the Seahawks' radar. He's not among the candidates they have interviewed thus far in the process.

Quinn is one of five contenders for the job who have scheduled a second interview. They also have first interviews with Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson set at some point.

The only team that has completed an interview with Vrabel thus far is the Atlanta Falcons, who announced it on Wednesday. He's set to meet with the Carolina Panthers on Thursday, per ESPN's Jeff Darlington.

Vrabel was fired by the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 9 after a disappointing 6-11 record. He went 54-45 overall with three playoff appearances and two AFC South titles in six seasons.

When the Seahawks announced Pete Carroll was moving into a front-office role after 14 seasons as their head coach, Quinn immediately jumped out as his potential replacement.

The 53-year-old Quinn was Seattle's defensive coordinator for two seasons during the height of the Legion of Boom in 2013 and 2014. He left the team to become the Atlanta Falcons head coach in February 2015.

Quinn went 43-42 with two playoff appearances, including an NFC championship in 2016, before being fired early in the 2020 season. He's spent the past three seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Seahawks have finished 9-8 in each of the past two seasons. They made the postseason in 2022, losing in the NFC Wild Card game to the San Francisco 49ers. They finished third in the NFC West and missed the playoffs this year.