Reports state that Mike Vrabel will interview for the head coaching position with the Carolina Panthers.

It seems like the Carolina Panthers are a contender to sign Mike Vrabel. The former head coach of the Tennessee Titans is reportedly scheduled to travel to Carolina on Wednesday night in order to meet with the Panthers on Thursday. This is an intriguing development in the coaching search, as it highlights the depth of talent available this offseason. The reports come from multiple media outlets, including The Athletic and ESPN. He will also have a face-to-face interview with the Falcons.

Vrabel is currently one of the most attractive coaching prospects available. The public was widely surprised by the 48-year-old former NFL linebacker’s firing from the Titans this summer, given his 56-48 record since taking over as head coach in 2018.

2019 was the greatest year of his six-year tenure in Tennessee, as his team finished 9-7 yet managed to sneak into the playoffs and advance all the way to the AFC Championship game. It was the first of the team’s three consecutive postseason trips. The Panthers revealed that 11 candidates had virtual interviews, but Vrabel was not one of them. The Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales, and the Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero are among the candidates who have had second interviews with the Panthers.

A number of potential head coach candidates for the Panthers, such as Ben Johnson of the Lions offence and Todd Monken and Mike Macdonald of the Baltimore Ravens, are not eligible to be interviewed again until after their team has finished the postseason or, in the event that they advance to the Super Bowl, between January 29 and February 4.

Vrabel played his first three seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being selected in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. But it was with the New England Patriots, where he won three Super Bowls and played from 2001 to 2008, that he earned his name. Winning over the Carolina Panthers in 2004 was one of their Super Bowl victories. Dan Morgan, who was just elevated to the position of general manager and president of football operations for the Panthers, played linebacker for Carolina in that game and set a Super Bowl record with 18 tackles.

Vrabel retired from playing in 2011 and joined the coaching staff at Ohio State.