Mike Vrabel’s first speech as New England Patriots head coach has gotten a lot of attention
The New England Patriots have been active all offseason. Since the 2024 season ended, New England has been one of the most talked-about teams in the NFL. They signed stars such as Milton Williams and Carlton Davis on defense, and picked up former All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs to give Drake Maye a reliable veteran out wide.
They were making headlines far ahead of those moves, though. When New England fired Jerrod Mayo after just one season at the helm, it was all but guaranteed they would be hiring former linebacker and Super Bowl champion Mike Vrabel to be their head coach. Vrabel, of course, was the head coach for the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23, posting a 54-45 record and leading the Titans to the AFC Championship Game in 2019.
The New England Patriots have been active all offseason. Since the 2024 season ended, New England has been one of the most talked-about teams in the NFL. They signed stars such as Milton Williams and Carlton Davis on defense, and picked up former All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs to give Drake Maye a reliable veteran out wide.
They were making headlines far ahead of those moves, though. When New England fired Jerrod Mayo after just one season at the helm, it was all but guaranteed they would be hiring former linebacker and Super Bowl champion Mike Vrabel to be their head coach. Vrabel, of course, was the head coach for the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23, posting a 54-45 record and leading the Titans to the AFC Championship Game in 2019.
The Patriots began their offseason program earlier this week, and Vrabel gave his first official address to his players in a speech that is going viral. Vrabel had many points that he made to his players in terms of what he expects, which included:
- Leaving cell phones in their bags
- Be on time
- No hoods on heads during meetings
“We’re building our own identity,” Vrabel said. “We’re building our own team, we’re building our own program. There are going to be things within that that are different… and it’s all about how we make you guys as good as you can possibly be as an individual, as a player, and as a team. That’s our whole goal and you have to start understanding that – why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
Vrabel also made note of the employees at the facility – training staff, equipment staff, kitchen staff – are there to help the players, but aren’t going to be maids or butlers of the team.
“They are here to help you do your job,” Vrabel said. “They aren’t here to be your valet, to be your housekeeper, to be your butler – you get where I’m going? We’re going to treat those people with the utmost respect.”
It’s a new day in New England with a new culture led by a coach who has a proven track record of winning, but also a proven track record of countless players who would go to war for him and with him.
