The Patriots want Mike Tomlin in case Mike Vrabel steps down

The New England Patriots are already eyeing a replacement in case head coach Mike Vrabel decides to step down.

As many know, Vrabel all but admitted to an inappropriate relationship with former NFL reporter Dianna Russini, which led her to resign from her position at “The Athletic.”

An insider with the Patriots told “The US Daily Mail” there is a plan in place if things go south, and this becomes too much of a distraction for the team.

“The Krafts are extremely loyal and have no intention of firing Mike, nor do they want to see him quit over all this drama,” an insider said to the US Daily Mail.

“But if these upcoming few months go haywire, and if they are put in a situation of no return, either with the team not doing well or the drama of Mike’s family issues taking over and forcing a decision on Mike’s coaching future, the one person that they would seek to replace him would be Mike Tomlin.”

Tomlin just stepped down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers and took a role as an analyst for NBC’s Sunday Night Football, replacing Tony Dungy.

The Patriots' second option could be offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who had two stints as a head coach, once with the Denver Broncos and another with the Las Vegas Raiders, but neither was successful.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: The Patriots want Mike Tomlin in case Mike Vrabel steps down