Titans Reportedly Refused to Trade with Patriots Before Deadline amid Mike Vrabel Beef

Mike Vrabel's previous tenure as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans may have prevented the New England Patriots from making a move ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET NFL trade deadline.

"I was also told there has been some conversation league-wide that Tennessee might be unwilling to make deals with New England because the owner, Amy Adams Strunk, continues to think too much about how things ended with Vrabel and is not inclined to help his new team," Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal reported. "We'll find out soon enough with the likes of edge Arden Key, RB Tony Pollard, and even WR Calvin Ridley available."

Rachel Nichols commented on the story and noted "there was definitely some bad blood at the end of his last season there. She thought that he had too much control over the roster."

However, NFL insider Paul Kuharsky reported the Titans "DID NOT pass on any attractive offer from the Patriots in favor of something else."

Vrabel coached the Titans for six years from 2018 through 2023 and went 54-45 overall.

However, things certainly started off much better than they finished. He led the Titans to a winning record in each of his first four seasons during a stretch that included three playoff appearances and a run to the AFC Championship Game.

Yet some roster turnover that included trading A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles undercut the Titans' outlook in Vrabel's final two seasons. The AFC South team went a combined 13-21 and failed to reach the playoffs in either season.

Tennessee then fired him after the 2023 campaign.

Vrabel is back this season as the head coach of the team he played for from 2001 through 2008. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and has surely further endeared himself to New England fans with the team's 7-2 start to the 2025 campaign.

Despite their impressive record, the Patriots did not make any notable moves ahead of the trade deadline.

As for the Titans, they are 1-8 on the season and could be well on their way to the No. 1 overall pick of the draft for the second straight year. They are in complete rebuilding mode, so moving veterans for draft picks figured to be a potential strategy.

If any potential grudges with Vrabel prevented such a move, it could be costly for Tennessee's long-term outlook.