Since he’s playing into his 40s, the reality is that Tom Brady is facing some of his former teammates who are now coaches. That was the case this week, when Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers took part in a joint practice against the Tennessee Titans, coached by Brady’s ex-teammate Mike Vrabel.
Brady noticed a big change in Vrabel, though. He told reporters Wednesday that his former Patriots teammate has toned it down a bit and isn’t as much of a diva now that he’s a coach. Brady said, via Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports:
“I think he’s toned down a little bit in his old age. He’s not as rambunctious as he used to be. He was much chattier as a player. He complained a lot when I didn’t throw him a ball like a typical diva receiver.
“He has, I think, mellowed out as a coach a little bit. He’s doing a great job and he’s a great coach. Obviously, he was a great player so he kind of coaches the way he would have played — try to be smart and really try to make them beat you. They’ve always done a good job of that.”
Brady’s assessment may be correct, but that won’t stop Vrabel from cracking some jokes at Brady’s expense. Vrabel obviously has to take a wider view of his team as a coach, but the sense of humor is still there. Brady might want to rethink the diva comment.
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