Browns adding former NFL Coach of the Year to staff

The Browns are hiring Vrabel as a coaching and personnel consultant, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Field Yates report. This will bring Vrabel back to Ohio, where he played and coached previously. The Ohio State alum is also an Akron native.

Vrabel has been working for the Browns since the Combine, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. He will work with the AFC North team this season. This reminds of Vic Fangio‘s gap-year setup with the Eagles in 2022, but word of that partnership did not come out until the season was nearly finished. The Browns look to be set to involve Vrabel in their offseason plan.

Vrabel, 48, interviewed for for the Chargers, Falcons and Panthers’ HC jobs this offseason. Seahawks connections emerged at multiple points, but no interview transpired. As was the case with his former mentor, Bill Belichick, Vrabel found himself out of the mix despite being a well-regarded leader. The former NFL Coach of the Year figures to be a better bet to be coveted in 2025 compared to Belichick, whose age (72 in April) will work against him. While no Belichick connections to a team have emerged, Vrabel is jumping back in as he presumably prepares for his next move.

Fangio spent the 2022 season as an Eagles consultant, and the team had hoped to keep him on as its defensive coordinator. That came to fruition a year later, but Vrabel’s situation should differ. Fangio’s age and middling work as Broncos HC moved him off the radar for a top job, as he had committed to hopping back on the DC carousel. Vrabel should be expected to be an HC candidate again soon and he will take what could well be a part-time position in Cleveland in the meantime.

Prior to becoming a Texans assistant, Vrabel began his coaching career at his alma mater. He coached under Urban Meyer at Ohio State from 2011-13. Going to high school in the Cleveland area (Cuyahoga Falls), Vrabel makes for an interesting fit close to his hometown. He will work alongside Kevin Stefanski and DC Jim Schwartz.