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After New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel clarified his recent Drake Maye comments over leadership, he roasted Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell with the same Tom Brady line as Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Amidst joint practice leading up to New England's preseason opener against the Commanders, a reporter asked what Vrabel remembers from being Kingsbury's teammate with the Patriots.
Vrabel gave the same response when asked about O'Connell as he did with the question about Kingsbury, per MassLive's Mark Daniels.
“The same thing I said about Kliff Kingsbury – he wasn’t as good as Tom Brady,” Vrabel said.
In 2003, Kingsbury, a rookie quarterback, spent the season on the Patriots' injured reserve while Vrabel was in his third NFL season. Then, Kevin O'Connell, as a rookie QB, joined the Patriots in 2008, which was Vrabel's last year with the Pats, who traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs. O'Connell also played for the Detriot Lions, the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins, and the San Diego Chargers before becoming a Quarterback coach for the Cleveland Browns.
Kingsbury played for the New Orleans Saints, the Denver Broncos, the Jets, and the Buffalo Bills. Vrabel finished his career with the Chiefs in 2010. After coaching the Tennessee Titans for five NFL seasons, including 2021, when Vrabel won NFL Coach of the Year, this is his first season with the Patriots.
Mike Vrabel clarifies comments on Patriots' Drake Maye
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel somewhat backtracked his comments on quarterback Drake Maye's leadership, as it's the same expectations he shares with every other one of his players. Vrabel didn't criticize the second-year QB. However, it left many fans wondering if there was more to be desired from Maye.
From a leadership's standpoint, Vrabel discussed his expectations of Maye, per WEEI's The Greg Hill Show.
“The expectation is that he's leading this football team,” Vrabel said. “That's what the job of the head coach and the quarterback is. That's pretty much how this thing goes. And that he can't take days off.
“I mean, sometimes the performance isn't going to be extraordinary, but the leadership and the demeanor has to be. And I think he's learning that. I love the fact that he's willing to learn and push and try to do those things to where he's demanding of everybody and making sure that everybody's on the same page.”
The Patriots will face the Vikings in their second preseason matchup on Saturday.
