NY Jets expected to miss out on their favorite HC candidate, per reports

The NY Jets reportedly identified Mike Vrabel as their top head coach target very early into the hiring process. The organization always knew that landing Vrabel would be a challenge, and that became especially true following the New England Patriots' decision to part ways with Jerod Mayo after just one year.

The Patriots quickly became the obvious landing spot for Vrabel, whose ties to the franchise date back to his playing days. The rumor mill has suggested that Vrabel will ultimately end up in New England, and while nothing is certain, all signs point to a reunion between the two sides.

FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Saturday that the Patriots and Vrabel "have been negotiating a deal to make him the franchise’s next head coach." Schultz insisted that "barring something unforeseen, the expectation remains that both sides will reach an agreement."

This confirms reports from NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport from earlier in the day. Pelissero reported that the two sides had already engaged in contract talks while Rapoport maintained that Vrabel remains the "overwhelming favorite" for the Patriots' job.

NY Jets' Mike Vrabel head coach pipedream is officially on life support

SNY's Connor Hughes reported last month that Vrabel was the coach the Jets "covet the most," and there was a belief that the team had a legitimate chance to land him. That was until the Patriots' job opened up.

While some reports since have suggested that Vrabel, who interviewed with the Jets earlier this month, was simply using the team as a leverage play, Hughes insists that's not the case.

Although the expectation remains that the Patriots will hire Vrabel, there's still an outside chance that the team becomes enamored with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. If that happens and Johnson gets the job, all bets are off.

Hughes reiterated on Saturday that there is still mutual interest between Vrabel and the Jets. The Vrabel pipedream isn't completely dead yet, but it is on life support,

The Jets have interviewed a whopping 16 total candidates for their vacant head coach position at the time of writing, nearly double that of any other team. Not every candidate has an equal chance to land the job, however.

If the Jets are unable to hire Vrabel, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores have frequently been discussed in relation to the Jets. Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy could also be a realistic fallback if the Jets miss out on all three.

Unfortunately, while both the Jets and many fans hoped the team would hire Vrabel, that outcome seems highly unlikely at this stage.

More NY Jets news and analysis: