Former Titans stars say team made major mistake letting Mike Vrabel go: 'State of Tennessee is kicking itself'

SAN FRANCISCO – The Tennessee Titans were a perennial playoff contender with Mike Vrabel manning the sidelines, but they wanted more. So, they axed him aft the 2023 season.

However, that determination proved costly, arsenic the Titans person not been adjacent to the playoffs, and Vrabel is present successful the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots.

Perhaps it is destiny for Vrabel and the Pats, arsenic Vrabel was an All-Pro linebacker successful New England. But for Titans fans, it's evidently just to wonder, "What if?"

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New England Patriots caput manager Mike Vrabel celebrates aft the AFC title crippled against the Denver Broncos astatine Empower Field At Mile High connected Jan. 25, 2026 successful Denver, Colorado. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Surely, that's what erstwhile Titans Pro Bowl choky extremity Delanie Walker is thinking.

"We are kicking ourselves. The full authorities of Tennessee is kicking itself to spot what Mike Vrabel has done successful being capable to play successful a Super Bowl," Walker said successful a caller interrogation with Fox News Digital. "He did it here, truthful we knew what benignant of caliber manager helium was."

Walker's last 2 NFL seasons were Vrabel's archetypal arsenic a caput coach. Vrabel was Walker's 4th manager portion helium was successful Tennessee, but thing astir him was antithetic from Mike Mularkey, Ken Whisenhunt, and Mike Munchak.

"This is simply a large thing, honestly. A batch of coaches person this issue, and that’s being honorable with players. Some coaches, they volition archer you 1 happening and bash another, they prevarication to you successful your look and spell upstairs and accidental ‘can we chopped him?’ Mike Vrabel doesn’t lie. He played, truthful helium gets it," Walker said.

"Every manager who’s played this game, look however palmy they are successful the NFL. They recognize it, they knew however they felt erstwhile they played, truthful they don’t privation to dainty a subordinate similar that. That’s however Vrabel was. Vrabel was honest, ne'er lied to us, conscionable told america however it was to our face. Yeah, sometimes, it’s hard to swallow, but astir players similar honesty, truthful we’ll spell retired and merchantability retired for you, due to the fact that we cognize you got our back."

Tennessee Titans caput manager Mike Vrabel pats choky extremity Delanie Walker connected the caput during the 2nd 4th astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019, successful Atlanta, Georgia. (George Walker IV/Tennessean.com, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

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During Super Bowl week, Walker's erstwhile teammate Taylor Lewan echoed akin sentiments connected vigor row.

"He's successful the Super Bowl. Yes, the Titans made a monolithic mistake letting Mike Vrabel spell a mates years ago," Lewan said. "You spot the reflection of what their grounds was erstwhile Mike Rabel wasn't determination versus erstwhile helium was there. And I'm definite there's a batch of Titans fans that privation helium was inactive connected the team."

Walker adjacent joked that Vrabel's clip with Tennessee was "the Patriots Way of the South."

"That’s virtually what it was. He virtually brought the Patriots Way. We each utilized to accidental that," Walker said with a laugh. "Can’t speech to the media without talking to the coach, can’t disclose injuries. I don’t person a occupation with it. Sometimes you request that operation to clasp guys accountable, and that’s wherefore we were palmy erstwhile helium came."

Lewan mentioned that civilization Vrabel brought arsenic well, labeling Vrabel arsenic a "lovable a--hole."

"I thought helium was an a--hole successful 2018. A lovable a--hole, but helium is an a--hole. He was decidedly very, precise hard connected america successful his archetypal twelvemonth successful 2018. And past arsenic his civilization was implemented, and helium felt the enactment connected the squad instrumentality over, his culture, that's what helium led you to person a small spot much reign. So, yeah, I deliberation arsenic acold arsenic mentation goes, getting guys to recognize the game, crippled management, each of those things, you're astir apt not going to find different squad successful the NFL that is much prepared successful those tiny infinitesimal details."

Despite Vrabel uncovering occurrence successful New England, though, Walker has precocious hopes for the new-look Titans with Cam Ward, caller caput manager Robert Saleh, and caller violative coordinator Brian Daboll.

"I bash judge the Titans are getting backmost to wherever they utilized to be. This is the NFL, you person your ups and downs. Hopefully, we bring successful the close radical to marque our squad bully again. And astatine the extremity of the day, you person precise young endowment that showed out," helium said. "That’s thing you privation to provender disconnected of adjacent twelvemonth and assistance those guys bring that vigor to marque the different rookies."

Tennessee Titans backmost Cam Ward throws during the 2nd fractional an NFL shot crippled against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, successful Indianapolis.  (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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"Cam is simply a beast, man," Walker added. "Some of the plays helium made this twelvemonth was incredible. To spell retired determination and combat adjacent though we were successful a slump, squad wasn’t doing well. I knew helium wouldn’t get the recognition helium deserved, due to the fact that Tennessee is simply a tiny market, we were already losing erstwhile helium got there, it conscionable doesn’t work. We had that spotlight connected him for the archetypal fewer games, past erstwhile they started losing, nary 1 wanted to ticker the Titans anymore. There helium goes. You’ve ne'er seen a archetypal wide prime not get arsenic overmuch a spotlight, and it was conscionable due to the fact that helium was connected the Titans."

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