Mike Vrabel Thanks Patriots Support Staff For Snow Help

While the New England Patriots were playing in their first AFC championship in seven seasons, other members of the New England community helped play integral roles in getting the team back home safely — even in harsh winter conditions.

The Patriots stayed in Denver after their 10-7 win over the Broncos this weekend, and didn't arrive back at Gillette Stadium until just before 5 p.m. When they arrived home, they showed up to clean cars and a smooth ride back.

Head coach Mike Vrabel opened up his first press conference of the week wanting to thank those behind the scenes that helped the Patriots out all season.

"Real quick here before – I just want to thank a lot of people here for helping us get here," Vrabel said. "Obviously, Robert (Kraft) and Jonathan (Kraft) for the support that they showed us from the time that I got here through free agency, and we're excited to finish up this chapter here, move into a new building and just have a lot of excitement there."

Mike Vrabel Was Quite Thankful To Be Home

That new building he mentioned was the team's new football-centric training facility, first announced in 2024 and set to be completed by this spring. It's a new piece of the Gillette Stadium property that continues to expand under the Kraft family's ownership since purchasing the team in 1993.

Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft reacts after defeating the Denver Broncos in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Off the field and off the tarmac, Vrabel gave more thanks to local firefighters and stadium employees. The blizzard that rocked the country hit New England especially hard. All day after the storm, crews around Gillette Stadium were working to clean up the snow that kept piling up.

"As we get back, just the Foxboro Fire Department, these guys all jacked up on top of their trucks and the excitement there," Vrabel said. "I mean, just look at our parking attendants. I mean, we came back, there's a bunch of snow, we're worried about starting our cars and getting everything cleaned off, and our cars are cleaned off, and I can't thank those people enough for what they do."

Lastly, Vrabel wanted to sing the praises of his fellow coaches and players that helped the team capture their 12th conference championship in franchise history, and 10th since the turn of the century.

"Our staff to get our coaches prepared, our coaches to get our players prepared, our training room, just everybody involved with this thing," Vrabel said. "But obviously the players, I thank them, and I know that they're excited to get us this next game and just the work that they're going to put in here this week. I think we have a good plan for them. We're excited about it, and it'll be a huge challenge and it'll be a huge test."

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