It’s been two days since the Patriots’ 2023 season concluded, and there have been no concrete updates about Bill Belichick’s future as head coach.

Belichick reportedly met with owner Robert Kraft on Monday. The head coach said Monday morning that he could wind up having a “series of meetings” with Kraft.

Belichick also said Monday morning that he’s “heavily invested” in the Patriots’ organization. He also alluded to a willingness to relinquish personnel duties.

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Bill Belichick addresses future amid uncertainty as Patriots head coach

“Yeah, look, I’m for whatever, collectively, we decide as an organization is the best thing to help our football team,” Belichick said. “And, I have multiple roles in that, and I rely on a lot of people to help me in those responsibilities. If somebody’s got to have the final say, I rely on a lot of other people to help. And, however that process is, I’m only part of it.”

Internally, the Patriots are conducting business as usual, according to sources. There’s still work to be done regardless of who’s in charge.

One thing that could potentially change Kraft and the team’s plans is the availability of former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, who was fired as Titans head coach on Tuesday.

Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz reported Tuesday that there would be “mutual interest” between Vrabel and the Patriots if Belichick is out as head coach.

There had been rumors of a split between the Titans and Vrabel, but given his standing among top NFL head coaches, it seemed likely that he would be traded rather than fired. Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said Tuesday on 104.5 The Zone that the team considered trading Vrabel but the process was going to take too long.

Vrabel, who played for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008, helping to bring three Super Bowl Championships to New England, was 54-45 as the Titans’ head coach. He led the Titans to the playoffs in 2019, 2020 and 2021, including an AFC Championship Game appearance in 2019. He was just 13-21 in his last two seasons with the Titans before being let go.

Vrabel, who was a one-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection with the Patriots and made the team’s All-2000s, 50th Anniversary and All-Dynasty Teams, was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 2023.

Vrabel was honored at halftime of the Patriots’ Week 7 win over the Bills as part of his induction ceremony. When he stepped up to the podium at halftime, while still the Titans’ head coach, he referred to the Patriots as “we.”

“Come on, we’ve got a game to win. I can’t be up here that long,” he said to the fans.

“I haven’t been back as much as I should since 2009, but I want to thank the fans who made playing in this stadium unbelievably special,” Vrabel continued. “When we traveled, you were there. When we were here, you were there. I can imagine how you screamed and yelled during night games on third down, then you threw the snow… I don’t want you to take this organization for granted. I’ve been a lot of places, this is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, and great coaching. Enjoy it, it’s not like this everywhere.”

Vrabel watched the game from Robert and Jonathan Kraft’s suite.

Belichick raved about Vrabel’s time with the Patriots as a player before his Hall of Fame induction.

“Mike was a very cerebral player, smart player, played inside linebacker for us when we needed him — which wasn’t often, but he could do it. He was the kind of guy that at practice would take reps at every position, free safety, strong safety, occasionally defensive line,” Belichick said in October. “If there was a certain player we were trying to replicate, he would jump in there and do that. It was competitive, especially with him and [Tom] Brady, quite entertaining at times, to be honest with you. Mike had a great personality, great love for the game, passionate, high energy, very strong.”

He closed out an answer by saying it was “no surprise that he went into coaching, no surprise he’s been successful. Good, smart football player and coach, good fundamentals.”

If the Patriots do move on from Belichick, current linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is also viewed as a top candidate to be his successor. Potential general manager candidates include current executives like Eliot Wolf and former Patriots front-office execs who have moved on like Dave Ziegler and Jon Robinson, who worked with Vrabel in Tennessee.

The Patriots could interview Vrabel at any point now that he’s been fired.

They cannot interview employees of other clubs that did not make the postseason until the third day following the employer club’s Week 18 game. They could interview a coach of a team on a playoff bye virtually three days after Week 18 games and before the Wild Card games. They could interview the coach of a team participating in the Wild Card games virtually beginning three days after its Wild Card game and prior to the divisional round. The Patriots can hold in-person interviews with coaches whose teams’ seasons have concluded starting Jan. 22.

Teams seeking a head coach must conduct in-person interviews with at least two external candidates who are persons or color and/or women to satisfy the Rooney Rule.