New England Patriots
Live Blog EndedJan 13, 2025

Vrabel press conference highlights: Pats coach lays out clear vision

Mike Vrabel addressed the media and Patriots fans for the first time as head coach.

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Phil Perry shares his instant reaction to Mike Vrabel’s introductory press conference as the Patriots next head coach.

What to Know

The Mike Vrabel Era in New England officially began Monday.

After announcing him as the 16th head coach in franchise history Sunday, the Patriots unveiled Vrabel in an introductory press conference Monday at the Sports Illustrated Pavilion at Gillette Stadium.

Vrabel addressed the media for about 40 minutes, fielding questions on a wide range of topics. Follow along with our live blog below for Vrabel's best soundbites, reaction from our insiders and more.

JAN 131:00 PM EST

Instant reaction to Mike Vrabel's first press conference

Host Trenni Casey joins Vrabel's former Patriots teammate Ted Johnson and Patriots Insider Phil Perry to share their initial thoughts on Vrabel's first press conference as Patriots head coach:

JAN 135:27 PM EST

Why Mike Vrabel is ‘very' comfortable with Eliot Wolf-led front office

Why Mike Vrabel is ‘very' comfortable with Eliot Wolf-led front office

Mike Vrabel joins Tom E. Curran for an exclusive discussion on a new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast.

Judging by his introductory press conference, Mike Vrabel is on board with Eliot Wolf getting another shot to lead the New England Patriots front office.

After parting ways with one-and-done head coach Jerod Mayo, Patriots owner Robert Kraft stated that Wolf "will be staying on" with the organization despite his tumultuous debut season in Foxboro. It was unclear at the time whether Wolf would retain control over personnel decisions, especially with Vrabel as head coach. At present, however, it appears Wolf will still be among the team's primary decision-makers when it comes to adding talent to the roster.

Vrabel referenced Wolf multiple times during Monday's press conference, noting the importance of having a "shared organizational vision" for acquiring players. In an exclusive 1-on-1 interview with NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran, Vrabel was asked how comfortable he is with Wolf and the rest of the front office's ability to evaluate talent.

"Very," Vrabel answered. "Having talked to Eliot and getting to know him through the interview process and then some over the weekend, there were some things that maybe didn't allow him to completely invest in personnel. And I'm not gonna be able to watch every player, I'm not gonna be able to watch as many players as they will. I'm excited about them being able to consolidate that, to get me the players, to get me in front of the players that we need to identify and evaluate, and allow me to coach the football team and then come together with a shared vision about who can help us.

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JAN 133:39 PM EST

Vrabel seems open to idea of arranged marriage with Wolf… for now

Vrabel seems open to idea of arranged marriage with Wolf… for now

Phil Perry shares reaction from league sources to Ryan Cowden joining Mike Vrabel in New England. Cowden is expected to work with Patriots personnel, but Eliot Wolf will retain control.

FOXBORO -- Mike Vrabel is in as head coach in New England. That makes sense. That should excite Patriots fans because of the experience that he brings to the table, because of the clearly-defined standards he'll set.

But what is a little more muddy is how the front office will be handled now that Vrabel is officially on board. Eliot Wolf was in attendance at Vrabel's introductory press conference Monday, as was Matt Groh and several members of last year's personnel department. And Wolf was mentioned by Vrabel more than once, unprompted, during the proceedings.

Does that mean that Vrabel is open to a long-term arranged marriage with Wolf as the leader of the personnel department? Does it mean that Wolf is still the No. 1 decision-maker on that side of the building until a later date -- say, after the NFL Draft -- when Vrabel can insert someone he knows on a deeper level? 

Vrabel ended up on the outs in Tennessee, in part, because of a reported power struggle between him and former general manager Ran Carthon, who was tied to Vrabel after Jon Robinson was fired. Consider it one of many failed forced head-coach-and-front-office-czar partnerships strewn throughout the history of the league.

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JAN 133:09 PM EST

Perry: ‘Removing entitlement' a key takeaway from Vrabel press conference

Perry: ‘Removing entitlement' a key takeaway from Vrabel press conference

Phil Perry shares his instant reaction to Mike Vrabel’s introductory press conference as the Patriots next head coach.

From the team's offensive philosophy to the dynamics in the front office, Mike Vrabel's first press conference as head coach of the New England Patriots covered a wide variety of topics. Culture, however, was the focal point of the 35-minute session at Gillette Stadium.

Vrabel, a standout Patriots linebacker from 2001-08, told reporters he envisions a culture "built on a winning, competitive spirit." With New England coming off a tumultuous 4-13 season, Vrabel added, "You can find out what your culture is like when your family, your business, your team, is at its low point."

The 49-year-old laid out a clear vision for the organization, one he hopes will bring a winning attitude back to Foxboro.

"We're gonna earn the right to be here every day. We're gonna remove entitlement from our football team," Vrabel said. "We're gonna get everything that we've earned, from the head coach to the position coaches, all the way down to the players. We're gonna earn the right to be here every single day."

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JAN 132:17 PM EST

Vrabel details talks with Eliot Wolf amid front office uncertainty

Vrabel details talks with Eliot Wolf amid front office uncertainty

Mike Vrabel shares the type of environment he hopes to create for Patriots players

What will Eliot Wolf's role look like with Mike Vrabel calling the shots as New England Patriots head coach?

That's a key question which should get answered in the near future as the Patriots sort out their front office hierarchy. But at the moment, Wolf is still the leader of New England's front office leader as the executive vice president of player personnel -- and Vrabel made a concerted effort to point that out during his introductory press conference Monday.

When asked what kinds of players he wants to bring to the Patriots, Vrabel brought up Wolf's name unprompted while noting an "inside joke" the two already have.

"Eliot's going to laugh. I'm going to say, good ones," Vrabel responded. "That's just an inside joke between him and I already just over the weekend and through the interview process."

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JAN 131:45 PM EST

Vrabel reveals offensive philosophy he wants Patriots to have with Maye

Vrabel reveals offensive philosophy he wants Patriots to have with Maye

Mike Vrabel explains how he plans to help Drake Maye develop in his second season with the Patriots

The New England Patriots have plenty of problems to address on both sides of the ball with Mike Vrabel as their new head coach.

But with a potential franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, the offense is going to receive a lot of attention in the coming months, especially with the Patriots owning the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and having around $130 million in salary cap space to spend in free agency.

The Patriots offense ranked 30th in points scored, 31st in total yards and 29th in third-down conversion percentage last season. It's safe to say there's plenty of room for improvement in every facet.

What kind of offense does Vrabel want to employ in New England?

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JAN 131:40 PM EST

How Vrabel plans to support franchise QB Drake Maye

How Vrabel plans to support franchise QB Drake Maye

Mike Vrabel explains how he plans to help Drake Maye develop in his second season with the Patriots

When asked how he plans to develop 22-year-old quarterback Drake Maye entering his second NFL season, Vrabel said it starts with "put(ting) great people around him."

"I would say that my involvement will be s it relates to game management and situational awareness and where we are on the football field, and trying to develop him as a leader of the offense.

" ... Drake is going to be his own person, but I'm going to give him some things that I feel are necessary to help us win football games."

JAN 1312:38 PM EST

Vrabel lays out goals for Patriots

The Patriots had a 4-13 record in each of the last two seasons. While the goal is always to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the campaign, there are milestones a team has to hit before that becomes a reality.

"Our goals will be to win the AFC East, to host home playoff games, and to compete for championships," Vrabel said when asked about his goals for the Patriots.

He added: "We want to be good enough to take advantage of bad football."

JAN 1312:33 PM EST

Vrabel identifies key offseason priority

The Patriots roster has a lot of weaknesses that must be addressed over the offseason. Luckily for the Pats, they have the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and around $130 million in salary cap space to acquire new players.

When asked which position will be a priority to upgrade in the coming months, Vrabel singled out the offensive line and the importance of protecting young quarterback Drake Maye.

"Make sure we're strong up front, whether it's through free agency or the draft. That's something that's critical," Vrabel said.

JAN 1312:25 PM EST

Vrabel talks establishing a new culture in New England

"You guys are going to ask me questions about culture," Vrabel told reporters. "... You can find out what your culture looks like when your family, your business, your team are at its low point."

Vrabel added that he hopes to "remove entitlement from our football team" and have his players "earn the right to be here every day."

JAN 1312:08 PM EST

Robert Kraft details how Vrabel impressed him in interview

Kraft: "In the interview process, Mike showed us that he had a very deep understanding of our team."

According to Kraft, Vrabel had a "had a clear and focused strategy for how to get us back to a championship way."

JAN 1311:58 AM EST

Mike Vrabel arrives at Gillette Stadium

The Patriots' new head coach is in the house for his first press conference as Patriots head coach.

JAN 1311:17 AM EST

Ex-Titans player: Patriots ‘are going to win games' with Vrabel

Ex-Titans player: Patriots ‘are going to win games' with Vrabel

Former Patriots QB Matt Cassel gives some interesting insight on Mike Vrabel after he was named Patriots’ head coach in the latest episode of the Pats Talk Podcast.

The New England Patriots recently wrapped up their second consecutive 4-13 season. It's the first time the franchise has won four or fewer games in back-to-back years since 1967-70.

Despite the recent struggles on the field, there's some optimism that the situation will turn around after the Patriots announced Sunday they have hired Mike Vrabel as their new head coach.

Vrabel spent eight seasons with the Patriots as a player from 2001 through 2008 and won three Super Bowl titles during that span. He also was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans for six seasons from 2018 through 2023.

One of his former Titans players, offensive lineman Taylor Lewan, went on social media Sunday and gave his take on why Vrabel will help the Patriots win games, particularly those close matchups. New England has a 7-14 record in one-score games over the last two seasons. Lewan is confident that trend will change with Vrabel running the show.

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JAN 1310:55 AM EST

NFL sources skeptical of Patriots front office dynamic with Cowden

NFL sources skeptical of Patriots front office dynamic with Cowden
Phil Perry shares reaction from league sources to Ryan Cowden joining Mike Vrabel in New England. Cowden is expected to work with Patriots personnel, but Eliot Wolf will retain control.
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