Was Mike Vrabel the chosen one all along? Maybe so, because the Patriots didn’t waste any time cutting ties with their one-and-done head coach, Jerod Mayo. After a rough season where the Pats managed to win just 4 out of 17 games, Robert Kraft had no choice but to pull the plug on his supposed Bill Belichick successor. But let’s be real, the Patriots have looked straight-up soulless for two seasons now, and even Julian Edelman knows that Vrabel might just be their shot at a comeback.

And the way Julian Edelman describes Vrabel’s approach makes it clear why he’s the perfect fit for the Patriots. “He’ll f**king come straight for your throat,” Edelman said, not holding back. “He’ll talk about anything, any means. Wife, kids, mom, dad. He doesn’t care.” Vrabel’s got zero chill afterwards, ’cause as Edelman puts it, “It’s football. Grow a sack.” That kind of brutal honesty is exactly what New England needs to snap out of the funk they’ve been in. And the troubles they went to get him? Oh boy, they are in their own league.

The way the Pats handled the coaching search? Kinda messy, we can say. Robert Kraft and the front office totally missed out on some solid opportunities to get input from respected names around the league. They did a few interviews, but a lot of it felt like they were just checking boxes—like bringing in Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton, who weren’t exactly top contenders. The backlash was real, especially after they let go of their first Black head coach. Not the best look.

Still, the Patriots landed the right guy in Vrabel. His leadership and culture-building have done wonders for the Titans, and New England’s hoping that vibe rubs off on them. Sure, the search wasn’t flawless, but getting Vrabel in the building is definitely the move to get the Patriots back to their glory days.

Rex Ryan fires shots at Vrabel’s Patriots challenge

It’s not just Julian Edelman throwing shade at Mike Vrabel—the new Pats head coach is catching some heat from around the league, too. Enter Rex Ryan, former Jets head coach and straight-up Patriots hater. Who didn’t hold back when talking about Vrabel’s hiring. On an ESPN broadcast, Ryan and his crew were lowkey cracking up, with Ryan joking that the Pats must be “desperate” to bring Vrabel in.

Now, Ryan wasn’t totally trashing Vrabel—he did give him credit for being a solid coach—but you could tell he was throwing a little shade. “The Patriots must be in trouble if they’re bringing Vrabel back in,” Ryan said, pretty much saying the Pats are in a rough spot, and Vrabel’s tough-guy persona might be their last hope. Ryan’s comments weren’t subtle at all. But it’s obvious that even though Vrabel’s got that no-nonsense reputation. He’s walking into a pretty messy situation in New England.

And Ryan wasn’t done there. When asked about facing Vrabel twice a year, he added, “Hopefully I get to kick this guy’s a** twice a year,” with a laugh. He quickly followed up, saying, “My team, not me personally!” It’s clear that Ryan’s rivalry with the Patriots and Vrabel is far from over, and it adds a little extra spice to the matchup when Vrabel finally faces off against Ryan’s team.

Ryan’s words just mean Vrabel got a huge task ahead of him. The Pats haven’t been anywhere near their glory days. And while Vrabel’s all about that intensity. It’s gonna take more than just being a tough guy to get New England back to prime. So yeah, Vrabel’s hire could be the move, but it’ll be interesting to see if he can actually pull it off.