FOXBORO — The Patriots’ defensive coordinator position next season is yet to be determined.
Head coach Mike Vrabel was asked Tuesday if inside linebackers coach/interim defensive coordinator/defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr would maintain his role as DC next season.
Kuhr took over the job when defensive coordinator Terrell Williams was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September and kept it after Williams was declared cancer-free at the end of the season.
“There’ll be a lot of things that we’ll have to work through there,” Vrabel said. “We’ll have to work through — T’s healthy and been given a release to be back at work. So again, I’ll work through all those things here in the next couple days, weeks, however long those decisions take.”
The Patriots had one of the league’s best defenses with Kuhr leading the unit and calling plays this season, but Williams has far more coaching experience and was hand-picked by Vrabel to be the team’s defensive coordinator last offseason.
Another long-time Vrabel DC, Shane Bowen, is also currently out of work. Vrabel’s defensive coordinator with the Titans from 2021 to 2023 and an outside linebackers coach in Tennessee before then, Bowen was fired as the Giants’ DC in November.
Vrabel said after Williams was diagnosed that his coaching staffs always take a collaborative approach and that other position coaches also chipped in to help Kuhr in his role.
But someone will need to call plays in the spring when the Patriots reconvene for the offseason workout program.
Vrabel was 10 weeks until players are back in the facility.