Steelers Urged to Use ‘Blank Check’ to Add 3-Time Super Bowl Champion to Staff
The Pittsburgh Steelers created an extra coaching position to hire former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores two years ago. All Steelers Talk’s Noah Strackbein and Stephen Thompson argued the Steelers should do something similar for Mike Vrabel.
In fact, the co-hosts argued the Steelers should be so excited about potentially hiring Vrabel that they should make him an offer he can’t refuse.
“If you can get Mike Vrabel, you go get Mike Vrabel; it’s really not a question of ability or anything,” Thompson said on the All Steelers Talk’s February 2 episode. “It’s a guy that I’m not even sure that you really have to seriously interview, it’s more about, ‘Hey do you want to come here?’
“It’s a pretty one-way street there. If Mike Vrabel wants to come, the Steelers should want him to come. I don’t know how much an assistant like that would get paid or anything.
“But I think you almost write him a blank check and say, ‘Yeah, we’d love to have you here.’”
Vrabel spent six seasons as the Tennessee Titans head coach from 2018-23. Although he posted losing records in his final two seasons, he registered a 54-45 record overall.
In the 2019-20 season, Vrabel led the Titans to an improbable AFC championship game appearance. The Titans were the conference’s sixth seed that postseason.
As a player, Vrabel won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. Ironically, he began his playing career with the Steelers in 1997.
Could the Steelers Hire Mike Vrabel?
Strackbein agreed with his co-host that the Steelers should pursue Vrabel as a high-level defensive assistant. Strackbein also concurred that money should be no object for the Steelers bringing in Vrabel.
“I don’t know where that comes out. I don’t know the finances of coaching staffs and where it comes from and all that,” Strackbein argued. “[But] Art Rooney makes a billion dollars a year. Go sign Mike Vrabel.”
