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Mike Vrabel may not be Bill Belichick, but the veteran head coach who now leads the New England Patriots channeled him on Tuesday after not liking a reporter’s question.
Why exactly? He had just answered it from a different reporter.
The reporter in question was the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, who asked Vrabel how he felt about how his squad came into Patriots camp on day one.
Vrabel, clearly ticked off, answered rather quickly.
“Whether you were in a coma when I answered Tom’s question, or typing on your phone or tweeting, I don’t know. But I spent five minutes answering that question. I can go back through it, but I’d rather not,” Vrabel said.
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Some may view Vrabel’s response as one he didn’t have to give Volin, but the reporter owned up to not paying attention to the previous answer from the new head coach after posting on X.
“Flag on the play. 5 yard penalty. Total lack of focus,” Volin replied after the video of him and Vrabel’s exchange went viral.
Patriots reporters are used to no-nonsense, stern responses up at the lectern given Belichick’s years of monotone answers to questions.
Vrabel can be more animated, but he was once a player underneath Belichick and his own coaching style has similarities. He expects everyone to do their jobs correctly and efficiently — even reporters in the press room.
The Patriots let Jerod Mayo, a former New England teammate of Vrabel’s, go after just one season as their head coach in 2024. New England went 4-13 under Mayo, which was the worst mark in the AFC East last year.
Vrabel was considered a frontrunner for the Patriots job last offseason when Belichick and the team mutually parted ways, but he ultimately never found a new head coaching gig after being let go by the Tennessee Titans following six seasons as their head coach.
After a year-long hiatus, Vrabel is back in the saddle with a New England team looking to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
With new blood, including wide receiver Stefon Diggs, in the building to go along with cornerstone pieces like quarterback Drake Maye, the storylines in Foxborough are expected to be abundant this season.
Vrabel, though, clearly hopes those stories don’t involve repeat questions.
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