Harold Landry explains why signing with the Patriots was ‘an easy choice’

The Patriots signed the ex-Titan to a three-year, $43.5 million contract.

The first big addition of Mike Vrabel’s tenure as New England Patriots head coach involved a familiar face. Outside linebacker Harold Landry, who was released by the Tennessee Titans earlier this month, re-united with his former head coach on a three-year, $43.5 million contract.

Obviously, the monetary aspect had a major influence on Landry’s landing spot. As he explained in a recent video provided by the team, however, the motivation to join the Patriots goes deeper than that: his relationship with Vrabel and the prospect of helping rebuild the team also factored into his decision.

“I felt like it had to be the right fit, the right coaches or the right environment,” he said. “It was an easy choice for me to be able to come back here — this area, the Boston area. It’s really where it all started, where I met my wife at BC, and really where my career took off, I feel like, as a football player.”

A North Carolina native, Landry spent four years at Boston College before getting selected 41st overall by the Titans in the 2018 NFL Draft. Mike Vrabel’s second ever draft pick as a head coach went on to have a productive career in Tennessee.

Playing a combined 103 regular season and playoff games, Landry registered 55 total sacks and was voted to a Pro Bowl. Most of this production came under Vrabel, who was fired as Titans head coach after the 2023 season.

Two years later, Landry is gone from the team as well — and embracing the opportunity to reunite with Vrabel in Foxboro.

“Knowing Vrabes and the staff that he was putting together, I was getting excited to potentially have the opportunity to come and to play for this staff,” he said.

“I have good familiarity with the coaches, the scheme, and you really feel like you have a bright future here. You can feel the energy building around this organization, and it’s just exciting to be a New England Patriot. That was like the main thing for me: wanting to come into a situation where I felt like I could come in and help, be productive, help set the culture, and build this thing up.”

Given their significant financial investment, the Patriots themselves expect the same out of Landry. They do have reason to be confident, though, given how well Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams know the 28-year-old and what he can bring to the team.

Landry, meanwhile, knows what to expect from Vrabel and his way of running an organization.

“When I first met Vrabes in Tennessee — honestly, even when I met him in the whole draft process — he was a super intense dude, a real locker room guy. But I think as the years went on, I feel like Vrabes kind of evolved also,” Landry said.

“I’m super appreciative of Vrabes and everything he’s done for my career. I think he does a great job of holding everybody accountable and knowing that everybody has a job to do. At the same time, he makes it exciting for you to come to work. He values relationships. The closer you are with the guys that you’re going to work with every single day, those are the guys you’re going to play hard for out there on the field. I like that he really values that.”