Patriots' Mike Vrabel Voted NFL's Top HC Hire over Bears' Ben Johnson by NFL Insiders

As Mike Vrabel begins his first year as head coach of the New England Patriots, many around the league view him as a perfect fit for his new job.

The Athletic's Jeff Howe polled 10 NFL personnel executives and coaches to rank their top five head coaching hires from this cycle, and Vrabel dominated the vote with nine out of 10 voters ranking him first.

New Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson tied with incoming Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll for second place.

After being fired by the Tennessee Titans at the end of the 2023 season following his six-year tenure as head coach, Vrabel spent the 2024 season as a coaching consultant for the Cleveland Browns. However, it's clear he still remains a respected mind among most league circles.

When the Patriots moved on from Jerod Mayo after just one year, they pounced on the opportunity to hire Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls with the franchise during his playing career.

"(Vrabel has been a) successful head coach with bona fide leadership ability, which is underrated with the personalities in today’s game,” an executive who was granted anonymity told Howe. “He’s really organized situationally within the game. His personality fits the northeast, where they’re going to run the ball and play good defense. And he has a quarterback."

Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye was selected to the Pro Bowl as an alternate after throwing for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his first year at the professional level. He should benefit from Vrabel helping to lead his development.

Johnson also has a talented young quarterback to mold, as he will be tasked with helping 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams reach his full potential in Chicago.

The former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator was the most popular coaching candidate on the market for the past few years, so the Bears will be hoping he lives up to the hype.