Titans owner reveals why team did not trade Mike Vrabel

Jan 11, 2020; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel against the Baltimore Ravens in the second quarter in a AFC Divisional Round playoff football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: George Walker IV/The Tennessean via USA TODAY NETWORK

Mike Vrabel has instantly become one of the top NFL head coach candidates on the market, which is why many have wondered why the Tennessee Titans did not try to trade him. Team owner Amy Adams Strunk says there is a simple explanation for that.

Shortly after the Titans announced on Tuesday that they have fired Vrabel, Strunk spoke about the decision during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone. She was asked if any thought was given to trading Vrabel. Strunk said that process would have taken too long.

“Yes, there was, but there’s a bit of misconception about a coach’s contract versus a player’s contract. A coach’s contract, you can’t trade them unless they’re a willing partner to that trade. So, yes, we thought about it,” Strunk admitted. “But at the end of the day with league rules the way they are, it would have maybe put us back three weeks.

“Honestly, to get the right head coach, I was just not willing to go to the back of the line and take a chance of missing out on someone we really wanted.”

#Titans Owner Amy Adams Strunk just a short time ago with Voice of the Titans Mike Keith on the decision to fire Mike Vrabel: pic.twitter.com/wlZ8ajXt88

— Kayla Anderson ✨ (@KaylaAndersonTV) January 9, 2024

There probably would have been plenty of interest in Vrabel, but Strunk is right that working out a trade may have taken much longer. The Titans first would have had to find a suitor that appealed to Vrabel and then negotiate compensation. There is a reason trades involving head coaches are fairly rare.

One NFL insider recently suggested Vrabel was unhappy in Tennessee, but there has been no indication that the split was his idea.

We doubt it will be very long before Vrabel lands another head coach job. Everyone seems to think one team makes the most sense for him.