Did the New England Patriots violate the Rooney Rule in hiring Mike Vrabel? Uncover the controversy shaking up their hiring process.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Ryan Clark thinks the Rooney Rule has become a complete joke. That was made evident with the New England Patriots bringing in Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich for interviews,

The Patriots have requested to speak to a fifth head coaching candidate.

One NFL Insider called the Patriots' head coaching search a "sham" aimed at circumventing the league's Rooney Rule

Aaron Glenn is considered one of the top coaching candidates. He declined the Patriots interview request this week and will meet with all other teams looking for a new coach

The New England Patriots have started their search for a new head coach after Jarod Mayo was fired on Sunday. On Tuesday, the team interviewed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.

The New England Patriots could be on the verge of hiring their next coach after completing an interview with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Friday, the fourth candidate to be brought in as part of the search to fill the vacancy created by the firing of Jerod Mayo.

Glenn would be the fifth candidate in New England’s head coaching search, joining Byron Leftwich, Pep Hamilton, Mike Vrabel, and Ben Johnson.

For some of those teams, that will involve finding new head coaches and/or General Managers. Three teams fired their head coaches during the season and two more have been dispatched as of 9 a.m. ET on January 6.

From the moment the New England Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo, it seemed inevitable that Mike Vrabel would step into the role. Sure enough, the Patriots announced Vrabel as the franchise’s next head coach just seven days later.

After a 5-12, last-place season that included 10 consecutive losses and the in-season firings of coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, the Chicago Bears are now embarking on a search to hire the franchise’s next head coach.

Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson were both first-round picks, and are both on a Hall of Fame track. They also share the same legacy of not having won enough in the postseason.