Mike Vrabel hasn’t even coached a full season in New England yet, and already one of his former players is feeling some type of way about it.
Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons let the jealousy slip during an appearance on Terron Armstead’s podcast. Vrabel, who coached Simmons in Tennessee from 2019 to 2023, took the Patriots to the Super Bowl in his very first year as head coach. That’s something Vrabel never managed to do in Nashville, and Simmons is honest about how that sits with him.
“I think we all would be surprised if this guy, first year in New England, they go straight to the Super Bowl. First off, I’m jealous as hell. Like what? I was just with you four years, and you couldn’t get me to the Super Bowl?” Simmons said, per Michael David Smith of NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk.
It’s a raw admission from a player who clearly still respects his former coach. Simmons made sure to clarify that the relationship is still strong.
“But I could call Vrabel right now and he’d answer the phone. You build that relationship off the football field, and I think that’s the thing with Vrabel,” he added.
A quick trip to the top
Vrabel’s first season in New England was a surprise to just about everyone outside the building. The Patriots took advantage of a soft regular-season schedule, leaned on an elite defense, and rode home-field weather through the AFC playoffs. They punched their ticket to the Super Bowl before eventually falling to a Seattle Seahawks team that was just better on the day.
During Vrabel’s tenure in Tennessee, the Titans came closest in 2019-20 when they reached the AFC Championship Game. That run ended at the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, right at the start of Kansas City’s dynastic stretch. Close but no cigar.
Now Vrabel has a chance to finish the job in New England. The Patriots open the 2026 season on the road against those same Seahawks on September 9. That game will be a measuring stick for a team trying to prove last year wasn’t a fluke.
Simmons will be watching from Tennessee, probably with a complicated mix of feelings. But at least he knows Vrabel still picks up the phone.
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