Former Patriots TE Gets Brutally Honest on Mike Vrabel's Speech

A former New England Patriots tight end has dropped a brutally honest take on Mike Vrabel's viral speech to the players.

Jan 13, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; Mike Vrabel addresses media at a press conference to announce his hiring as the New England Patriots head coach at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addressed his players at the start of the team's voluntary workouts this past week, and during his speech, he laid out some standards that he expects his players to abide by.

Former Patriots tight end Christian Fauria—who won a couple of Super Bowls during four-year stint in New England between 2002 and 2005—took to social media to reveal his thoughts on Vrabel's expectations, and he doesn't think the new coach is asking for too much.

“So, asking employees to be on time, then announcing that you actually get for or five chances to be late, then we ‘may’ do something and asking grown men to take off their hoodies and make sure their phones are on silent?" Fauria posted on X. "This is not culture building this is level 1 of how to be an adult and work in a professional environment."

Fauria doesn't seem to be criticizing Vrabel here. He more appears to be taking aim at the players in general, which is not a surprise given that modern NFL players have not exactly won a ton of favor with players of the older guard.

Vrabel is known for his no-nonsense coaching style, so his standards for the players are actually pretty lenient given his mentality. And remember: Vrabel himself won three Super Bowl titles while playing for the Pats, so surely, he is very accustomed to a demanding environment, especially under the direction of Bill Belichick.

The Patriots' culture was largely lambasted under Jerod Mayo this past season, which seemed to play a significant role in Mayo's firing after just one year at the helm.

Vrabel is being tasked with changing the locker-room dynamics, but again, he doesn't seem to be imposing any overly strict rules.

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