Benjamin Watson Isn't Surprised At Former Patriots Teammate's Success

What are Benjamin Watson's memories of his New England Patriots teammate, Mike Vrabel?

According to the veteran tight end, he's not surprised that he's ended up in coaching -- and at the level he's risen to.

"I mean, if you would have told me when we were doing one-on-one drills that he was going to be the coach of the Patriots, I'd be like, OK, whatever, we were kids then," Watson told Patriots on SI. "But I see it now and now ooking back, I see the talents that he had, kind of that administrative ability. He was very, very competitive, very confident."

Watson was drafted to New England in the first round of the 2004 draft, but suffered a season-ending ACL injury in September of that year. He suited up in one game, but saw his teammates -- Vrabel included -- roll on to their second-straight Super Bowl title. Vrabel caught yet another touchdown in the win.

And while looking back on that season is bittersweet for Watson, he's happy for how all of his Patriots teammates helped him grow during that year.

"It was amazing to see and witness what it means to fully dedicate yourself and to push through adversity and to have a team that truly acted like a team," Watson said. "I learned so much from watching those veteran players, one of which is going to coach in the Super Bowl this weekend. I learned so much from guys like (Richard) Seymour, from Tom (Brady), from Tedy (Bruschi), Ty (Law). We just had guys. We had guys that were leaders. Corey Dillon. I learned so much from watching them that carried me through my career."

Feb 06, 2005; Jacksonville, FL, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel (50) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl XXXIX at Alltel Stadium. The Patriots won the game 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images | Imagn Images

Watson is part of the Super Bowl pre-week festivities, joining various podcasts and shows to discuss his time in the NFL and beyond. As part of his media circus, he ran into another one of his teammates from the earlier part of New England's dynasty to reminisce on Vrabel as a player.

Tully Banta-Cain, an outside linebacker who had two separate stints with the Patriots during his career, was drafted one year before Watson. When they met up, they talked about how one of their veterans got away with things only he could.

Vrabel Confused A Young Ben Watson

"We were like, 'Man, Vrabel was the only dude that basically could talk junk to Bill (Belichick), and we can never figure it out,'" Watson said. "Vrabel was pretty much the only one that would talk back to Bill. Nobody else really would. He just had that confidence about himself, that swag, if you want to call it, but watching the way that not only he played, but I think about the way he understood the defense, was a leader in that respect.

"As a player that becomes a coach, I feel like he has a unique understanding of what players need. Players need discipline, they need strategy, they need a leadership. They need you to build confidence while also correcting them, but they also want you to be able to get on their level and say, 'We're in this thing together, and I love you, and that's what you see.'"

Vrabel was named the 2025 AP Coach of the Year this week ahead of Super Bowl LX, and based on how Watson remembers him, it wasn't going to be any surprise how that award turned out.

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