How Patriots' Drake Maye caused Mike Vrabel to make a major life decision

Mike Vrabel spent the 2024 season serving as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns before he became the top candidate of last winter's head-coach hiring cycle. 

While numerous stories at the time linked Vrabel with the Las Vegas Raiders, it's now known that he always intended to become the New England Patriots' next head coach following the rookie season of quarterback Drake Maye. 

Under Vrabel and Maye, the Patriots improved to 9-2 on the season via a 27-14 win over the New York Jets on Thursday night. After that victory, Vrabel opened up about the events that led him back to New England during the offseason. 

Mike Vrabel knew what Drake Maye would be

"I came here because of the familiarity," Vrabel explained, per Chris Mason of MassLive. "I came here because of Drake. I knew what he would be, and it was important for me to come here. And that’s someone I wanted to coach. And so building a program is about that. It’s about putting great people around your really good players. That’s what Drake is for us."

Vrabel and quarterback Tom Brady earned three Super Bowl rings as teammates with the Patriots from 2001-08. While Vrabel was inducted into the Patriots' Hall of Fame in the fall of 2023, that was before Brady was officially approved as a minority owner of the Raiders.

Many assumed after Christmas 2024 that Brady would win the Vrabel sweepstakes, but a January report revealed that Vrabel essentially told TB12 that he always intended to take the Patriots job. 

Bringing longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels back to the Patriots may prove to be the best decision made by Vrabel after he returned to New England. As of Friday morning, Maye was the betting favorite to claim the Most Valuable Player Award for the regular season.

Drake Maye responds to Mike Vrabel

"It means the world. It goes both ways," Maye said in reaction to Vrabel's comments. "I can’t thank coach enough for what he’s done, what he’s gonna do for my career, for my life. He brings it every day. He said this, and he’ll text me later tonight about something I could have done better in the game. He’s constant, he’s awesome, and we love playing for him. I love playing for him."

As of early Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Patriots tied for fourth among the betting favorites at +650 odds to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LX. That's remarkable considering some analysts thought back in the summer that New England was at least one more solid offseason away from becoming a playoff contender. 

“He brings it every day, and he cares about us," Maye added about Vrabel. "He coaches hard, but he cares about us. We love playing for him. I love playing for him. He’s coaching me on different things besides where to throw the ball. I think that’s the biggest thing about him is coaching leadership and coaching me every day. And he says something to me almost after every drive, and I just appreciate what he’s done for me and what he’s done for this football team."

The Patriots will next face the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 23. 3-6 Cincinnati plays at the 5-4 Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday.