- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,149,714
- Reaction score
- 59
The season might be over, but New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has some major offseason decisions to make, most notably on the future of the defensive coordinator role.
Longtime defensive coach Terrell Williams was hired to be the Patriots' new defensive coordinator under Vrabel last offseason. However, he suddenly fell ill and was forced to step away with what was later diagnosed as prostate cancer. Fast forward to today, and, thankfully, Williams is cancer-free with the possibility of returning to the sidelines in 2026.
The only problem is that inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr muddied the waters with an exceptional coaching performance in the 2025 season. Kuhr's defense carried the Patriots throughout the playoffs and even had them in position to win Super Bowl LX, but the offense completely imploded in the team's 29-13 loss in Santa Clara.
"There will be a lot of things we’ll have to work through there," Vrabel admitted when asked if Kuhr would continue calling plays or if Williams would take over.
If the Patriots don't promote Kuhr, there will likely be wandering eyes from other teams around the league looking to grab him. New England had one of the best defenses in the league in Kuhr's first year as a defensive play-caller.
At only 37 years old, Kuhr is an ascending talent with the potential to go far in the NFL.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Will Zak Kuhr remain Patriots DC in 2026? Mike Vrabel responds
Continue reading...
Longtime defensive coach Terrell Williams was hired to be the Patriots' new defensive coordinator under Vrabel last offseason. However, he suddenly fell ill and was forced to step away with what was later diagnosed as prostate cancer. Fast forward to today, and, thankfully, Williams is cancer-free with the possibility of returning to the sidelines in 2026.
The only problem is that inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr muddied the waters with an exceptional coaching performance in the 2025 season. Kuhr's defense carried the Patriots throughout the playoffs and even had them in position to win Super Bowl LX, but the offense completely imploded in the team's 29-13 loss in Santa Clara.
"There will be a lot of things we’ll have to work through there," Vrabel admitted when asked if Kuhr would continue calling plays or if Williams would take over.
If the Patriots don't promote Kuhr, there will likely be wandering eyes from other teams around the league looking to grab him. New England had one of the best defenses in the league in Kuhr's first year as a defensive play-caller.
At only 37 years old, Kuhr is an ascending talent with the potential to go far in the NFL.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Will Zak Kuhr remain Patriots DC in 2026? Mike Vrabel responds
Continue reading...
