Did the New England Patriots violate the Rooney Rule in hiring Mike Vrabel? Uncover the controversy shaking up their hiring process.

Analyzing decisions made by NFL teams is inherently an exercise in asking to be cold takes roasted down the road. Whether it's preseason picks, week-to-week selections, draft grades or commentary on coaching hires,

The NFL’s Rooney Rule is a worthy idea clumsily executed. Established in 2003 and tweaked in 2021, it requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates in person before they are permitted to hire a head coach.

CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones says a well-intended rule is no longer useful as teams find ways to skirt it

The year is 2022. The month, February. Two days ago, the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals punched their tickets to Super Bowl LVI. Matt Eberflus has just been hired as the Bears head coach, and Nathaniel Hackett has been snatched up by Denver.

From the moment the New England Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo, it seemed inevitable that Mike Vrabel would step into the role. Sure enough, the Patriots announced Vrabel as the franchise’s next head coach just seven days later.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Ryan Clark thinks the Rooney Rule has become a complete joke. That was made evident

Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark blasted the New England Patriots on "Inside the NFL" for how they complied with the NFL's Rooney Rule when they hired Mike Vrabel.

The Rooney Rule is an NFL policy that requires teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs. The rule was created to help coaches who are minorities but ESPN’s Ryan Clark isn’t convinced it’s effective.

For some of those teams, that will involve finding new head coaches and/or General Managers. Three teams fired their head coaches during the season and two more have been dispatched as of 9 a.m. ET on January 6.

Mike Vrabel interviewed with the Jets, but there was another team also looming to pursue him before the Patriots hired him.

Mike Vrabel was the top head coaching candidate in the 2025 cycle and for good reason. After a 14-year NFL career that saw him win three Super Bowls, make a Pro Bowl and be selected to an All-Pro team,