The New England Patriots have enough problems to worry about right now. Mike Vrabel made it clear Wednesday that his relationship with Drake Maye isn’t one of them.
New England is coming off an ugly 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that dropped the Patriots to 1-2. Maye has endured a difficult opening three games, and the struggles have naturally created questions surrounding the quarterback and the team.
Then came a local report suggesting there could be an issue between Vrabel and Maye.
Vrabel didn’t leave much room for interpretation when he was asked about it Wednesday.
“Unnamed sources?” Vrabel said.
Then he delivered a forceful defense of his relationship with his quarterback.
“Let me just tell you why I’m here,” Vrabel said. “I’m here because Drake was the QB. Believe it or not, I had choices to where I wanted to coach. I wanted to coach here because Drake was the QB.”
That’s about as strong an answer as Vrabel could have provided.
Mike Vrabel Pushes Back on Drake Maye Speculation
The speculation originated from comments made on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” where Hill discussed information attributed to a Patriots insider suggesting there was an issue between Vrabel and Maye.
One part of the discussion centered on the suggestion that Maye wasn’t really “Vrabel’s guy.”
Vrabel’s response directly contradicted that premise.
The Patriots coach didn’t merely say he gets along with Maye or that the two have a productive working relationship.
He said Maye was one of the reasons he chose New England.
That’s significant considering Vrabel was one of the most sought-after coaches available when the Patriots hired him. Maye also pushed back against the notion of a fractured relationship Wednesday, praising Vrabel and speaking positively about what the coach has brought to New England.
Patriots Have Bigger Problems After Jaguars Loss
What Vrabel and Maye can’t talk away is what happened Sunday. Jacksonville overwhelmed New England 35-6, and Maye committed three turnovers in the loss.
It continued a difficult start for a quarterback who entered the season with massive expectations.
New England now has to regroup quickly with an AFC East matchup against the Buffalo Bills coming Sunday. That creates pressure on everyone involved, including Maye and Vrabel.
When a team struggles, especially one with a high-profile coach and quarterback, outside questions are inevitable.
Vrabel answered one of the biggest ones Wednesday.
He had options when deciding where he wanted to coach. According to Vrabel himself, having Maye at quarterback helped convince him that New England was where he wanted to be.
