Mike Vrabel Displays Strong Leadership By Not Coaching First Preseason Game To Give Experience, Exposure To Assistant

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Mike Vrabel will not be the head coach when the Tennessee Titans take the field for their first NFL preseason game of the year on Saturday. The 47-year-old is not missing the game.

He isn't dealing with health issues that will keep him from his duties. All is well for Vrabel.

In a tremendous but unusual display of leadership, he is simply stepping aside.

Vrabel will not coach the Titans against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Assistant head coach and defensive line coach Terrell Williams is stepping into the head coaching role for the week.

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Tennessee Titans acting head coach Terrell Williams(Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The 26-year coaching veteran, who has been in the NFL for 12 years, will take the keys for the first time in his six years with the organization. Vrabel will be there to assist him, but Terrell Williams will be the head honcho this weekend. They're essentially switching roles!

Although it is rather uncommon for an NFL head coach to not serve as head coach, it's a pretty cool gesture from Vrabel. Williams will get the opportunity to get some on-the-job training for a role he surely hopes to reach down the road while also getting exposure on the highest level.

Mike Vrabel is passing head coach duties to Terrell Williams.

Williams has never been a head coach before. Saturday will be his first opportunity to handle operational duties for an NFL organization.

The 49-year-old began his career as a D-line coach on the college level in 1998. He moved to the NFL in 2012 with the Raiders and had a stop with the Dolphins before joining the Titans in 2018.

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Defensive line coach Terrell Williams Tennessee Titans warms up players.(Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)

Vrabel promoted Williams to associate head coach during the offseason. Now, just a few months later, the former is bumping the latter to the top spot for the weekend.

It is unclear as to whether this is a one-week thing or if it might continue into the second, third or forth weeks of the preseason. Either way, the move is pretty special and could help Williams get potential head coaching interviews in the future.