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

The Vrabel era in New England is off and running, with four rules in place from the outset.
Vrabel was hired as the new head coach of the Patriots earlier this year
Vrabel was hired as the new head coach of the Patriots earlier this year / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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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.

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
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, 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.