The quarterback defended his head coach, and it looks like nobody in New England wants Vrabel gone after a very successful first season.
The off-the-field stuff may have affected Mike Vrabel’s offseason. It became clear when the New England Patriots’ head coach missed Day 3 of the draft to seek counseling after the Dianna Russini scandal went public. However, the coach still has internal support.
Earlier this week, quarterback Drake Maye said he doesn’t think Vrabel’s personal situation will be a distraction for the roster.
“No, I don’t,” Maye told the AP. “I mean, he’s our head coach. I think he’s done a great job of talking to us and talking us through it. I’m just looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready.”
Maye goes on a personal level conversation
Drake Maye, who had a lot of success in his first season working with Mike Vrabel on the Patriots, defended his coach on a personal level as well – not only as a football coach.
“I know he’s got the right mindset and I know he’s a great human being,” Maye added. “I think he’s, like I said, I love playing for him.”
It’s undeniable that Drake Maye improved as a quarterback under the new coaching staff. After a rookie season full of growing pains under head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, Maye took a huge leap under Vrabel and new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in 2025.
That partnership took the Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance since Tom Brady left New England in the 2020 offseason.
It has been an offseason distraction for the Patriots, but Drake Maye doesn’t think it will be one for when it matters the most. And that’s what fans can hope for at this point.
A 50-year-old coach, Mike Vrabel played for the Patriots as a linebacker from 2001 to 2008, winning three Super Bowl rings. Vrabel has been a coach since 2011, and an NFL coach since 2014. He climbed the ladder going from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator to the Tennessee Titans’ head coach in 2018. After six seasons with the Titans and a year as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns in 2024, Vrabel got his second HC opportunity in New England.
