After the final whistle in the Kansas City Chiefs blowout victory week 17 victory over the Denver Broncos, I suspected it was the final time LB Mike Vrabel would appear in a Chiefs uniform.
Why would a 34 year old linebacker stay with a four-win team, I thought. Turns out, Vrabel likes to finish what he started.
In an interview with Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star, Vrabel talked about a couple of the reasons Kansas City made sense for him.
"When you look at everything, with (defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel) coming in and the guys we have and after playing with these guys for a year, I didn’t want to go anywhere else and shop around and go somewhere else and have to move my family.
"Now the most important thing is to win some football games."
Vrabel said he didn't want to get into the unknown that is free agency. He also spoke optimistically of the Chiefs' play to end the 2009 season.
Vrabel missed two games last season with a knee injury but that's not affecting him now -- he just passed the Chiefs physical.
Vrabel's return is important for another reason -- his veteran presence helped young outside linebacker Andy Studebaker progress nicely in 2009. Studebaker, who made a few big plays in limited snaps, credited Vrabel with his ability to quickly move into the starting role.