Patriots stuck with $28 million in coaching contracts, forced to give Mike Vrabel a no-fire year

Mike Vrabel may be coaching the worst team in the AFC, but his job is the safest — and it’s all thanks to dead money. After firing Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo in back-to-back years, the New England Patriots are now stuck paying nearly $28 million to past coaches.

In 2025, firing Vrabel would mean adding a third massive paycheck — and Robert Kraft has had enough.

Kraft’s coaching bill: $28 million and counting

It started with Belichick’s exit after the 2023 season. The legendary coach still had $25 million left on his deal. Then came Jerod Mayo, hired in 2024 and fired after one season. His contract? At least $3.5 million annually — a decision that proved as costly as it was brief.

On the Locked On Patriots podcast, analyst Nick Cattles dropped a blunt truth bomb: “If you look at Mike Vrabel realistically in 2025, this is, for all intents and purposes, a free season.”

He doubled down on the financial logic, adding: “There’s no way on God’s green earth that Kraft is going to fire another head coach.”

Vrabel can go 2–15 and still keep his job

But Cattles also made one thing clear — Vrabel won’t treat it like a pass: “I don’t think Vrabel’s going to coach it like it’s a free season,” he said. “He has pride in what he does. He wants to run a program that wins football games.” And that pride matters, especially in Foxborough.Vrabel has already warned players to expect major changes in 2025.

The former linebacker, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, brings not only familiarity but also credibility. He logged 54 wins with the Titans, made a 2019 AFC Championship appearance, and earned a league-wide rep for building a disciplined culture.Still, the real reason Vrabel is secure in New England has nothing to do with his resume. “He had to pay Belichick last year for not being here. He’s got to pay Mayo’s contract.

And Vrabel’s reportedly being paid like a top coach.” Firing Vrabel now? That would mean footing the bill for three full head coaching salaries.Also read: Titans heiress Blanche Strunk’s lavish NFL wedding turns Nissan Stadium into a fairytale stageOnce the model of NFL efficiency, the Patriots are now hamstrung by financial missteps. No matter the 2025 record — even 2–15 — Mike Vrabel’s job is locked in. In New England, job security isn’t earned on the field anymore. It’s written on the checks.