Mike Vrabel Had Four Simple Rules for Patriots Players in First Speech to Team

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Mike Vrabel was hired by the New England Patriots in January as the franchise's newest head coach. He has a tall task in front of him, taking over a struggling franchise that has picked in the top five of the NFL draft in two straight seasons.
The veteran head coach doesn't appear to have a complicated foundation as to how to succeed in a team environment, however. Vrabel's first speech to the Patriots was released on social media earlier this week. In that speech, he listed out four basic rules for his team to follow: Respect all team staff, keep hoods down during meetings, be on time, and keep cellphones away during team activities.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel laid out his team rules in his first speech to his new players:
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 10, 2025
1. Treat all staff with respect
2. Hoodies down during meetings
3. Be on time
4. Cell phones away during team activities pic.twitter.com/v65J0LZS2e
Pretty straightforward stuff. Some NFL coaches seem like they love to lay down the law. Vrabel doesn't seem that type, as he introduced some rules that largely ask for merely basic courtesy from his team.
A new era in New England is officially underway.
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Liam McKeone is a senior news writer for the NBA team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry covering the NBA and other sports as a content creator starting in 2017. Prior to joining SI, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.
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