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

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

That decision proved costly considering the Titans have not been close to the playoffs since and Vrabel is now in the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots.

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

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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel celebrates after the AFC championship game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver, Colo. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

That's what former Titans Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker is thinking.

"We are kicking ourselves. The whole state of Tennessee is kicking itself to see what Mike Vrabel has done in being able to play in a Super Bowl," Walker said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. "He did it here, so we knew what kind of caliber coach he was."

Walker's final two NFL seasons were Vrabel's first as a head coach. Vrabel was Walker's fourth coach while he was in Tennessee, but something about him was different from Mike Mularkey, Ken Whisenhunt and Mike Munchak.

"This is a big thing, honestly. A lot of coaches have this issue, and that’s being honest with players. Some coaches, they will tell you one thing and do another. They lie to you in your face and go upstairs and say, 'Can