Significant change is coming to the Patriots coaching staff under Mike Vrabel.

Less than a week into Vrabel’s tenure, it’s already been reported that six assistants won’t be back, and there are likely more names to come.

On Friday evening, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported tight ends coach Bob Bicknell, running backs coach Taylor Embree, wide receivers coach and assistant wide receivers coach Tiquan Underwood are all moving on in 2025.

Seeing both wide receivers coaches dismissed isn’t a major surprise given how badly that group struggled last season, and Embree’s move makes sense given Rhamondre Stevenson’s regression.

However, Bicknell is the most surprising of the bunch. Hunter Henry had a career year and Austin Hooper was solid as well, but their tight ends coach will still be elsewhere in 2025.

Though a handful of offensive assistants already know they’re moving on, there’s nothing yet on quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney or offensive line coach Scott Peters.

Reiss also said a pair of defensive coaches — director of skill development Joe Kim and defensive assistant Keith Jones Jr. — won’t be returning.

Jones took a job at Appalachian State last week and the university announced the move, so that’s been public knowledge.

There hasn’t been any news on the biggest names on the 2024 staff yet: Coordinators Alex Van Pelt, DeMarcus Covington and Jeremy Springer.

However, Covington interviewed for the same position with the Cincinnati Bengals, so the writing appears to be on the wall there.

New England’s defense took a major step back under Covington’s command.