The New England Patriots did not make any significant moves ahead of the trade deadline on Tuesday, but it is possible they were interested in one or two players who were not made available to them.
The Patriots were in need of running back help ahead of the deadline, and Tennessee Titans veteran Tony Pollard was viewed as a player they might target. Some also speculated that star wide receiver Calvin Ridley might be dealt with the Titans 1-8 this season and nowhere near contention.
Even if the Patriots wanted Pollard or Ridley, the Titans may not have been willing to entertain any trade conversations with New England. Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal wrote on Tuesday that Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk does not want to help Mike Vrabel after the way things ended for the head coach in Tennessee.
“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,” Giardi said. “We’ll find out soon enough with the likes of edge Arden Key, RB Tony Pollard, and even WR Calvin Ridley available.”
It is unclear if the Patriots actually had interest in Pollard or any other Titans player, but Giardi’s revelation is still noteworthy.
Vrabel was the head coach in Tennessee from 2018-2023. While he finished his tenure with back-to-back losing seasons, he led the Titans to the playoffs three times in six years. He had an overall record of 54-45.
Many were surprised when the Titans fired Vrabel given the success he had, but there were rumors of tension between him and ownership. Adams Strunk was supposedly bothered when Vrabel, who was a star linebacker for the Patriots and won three Super Bowls with them, showed allegiance to his former team.
Adams Strunk obviously had her reasons for firing Vrabel, but the move looks even worse now. The Titans have gone 4-22 since moving on from Vrabel, who has the Patriots off to a 7-2 start this season.
