Tom Brady is undeniably the greatest player to wear a New England Patriots uniform, so whenever he says something about his former team, it carries a lot of weight.
With that said, Brady’s latest comments about new Patriots coach Mike Vrabel are pretty telling and should raise optimism about the future of the franchise.
Brady, who played for the Patriots from 2000 to 2019 and won six Super Bowl titles in the process, had massive praise for Vrabel. The now-Las Vegas Raiders co-owner played alongside Vrabel in New England from 2001 to 2008, so he knows very well what kind of person Vrabel is.
According to Brady, Vrabel is a “great coach” and a “great leader for that organization.”
“I know he’s going to do a great job. I know he’s all about tough, disciplined, hard-nosed physical brand of football,” the three-time NFL MVP told DJ Siddiqi of SportsCasting in an exclusive interview.
“He’s a terrific coach and a great friend of mine still.”
The Patriots hired Mike Vrabel following the firing of Jerod Mayo, who took over when Bill Belichick stepped down from his position as head coach in 2024.
Unlike Mayo who was a first-time head coach in his lone season with New England, Vrabel brings a wealth of experience from being the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023.
Vrabel has a 56-48 overall record with Tennessee, including a 2-3 record in the postseason. The Titans made three straight postseason appearances under Vrabel, even making it to the AFC championship game in 2019.
As to what fans can expect from Vrabel as he takes over the Patriots, Tom Brady also has some idea about it.
“He’s got this no-[expletive] mentality about him and I love that,” Brady remarked. “That’s why I think he and I have always connected. It’s this mentality that we’re not making excuses, we’re going to go out there and get the job done, and we’re not going to complain. We’re going to work hard and we’re going to be resilient, and that’s how you get things done.”
The Patriots finished the 2024 season with a 4-13 record. Sure enough, hopes are high that Vrabel will be able to turn the franchise around.
