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Feb 06, 2005; Jacksonville, FL, USA; New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison (37) celebrates his late-game interception that sealed the Patriots 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX at Alltel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Dilip Vishwanat-Imagn Images Dilip Vishwanat-Imagn Images

Mike Vrabel Compares Current Roster to Patriots Legend

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Ethan Hurwitz | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Rodney Harrison spent the end of his NFL career with the New England Patriots, and during his time as one of the team's leaders, he was teammates with the franchise's newest leader. Now-head coach Mike Vrabel took over as the head man in New England this January, and for the first time under his tenure, his squad will suit up for a Sunday Night Football game.

The Patriots will head to Western New York to face off against the Buffalo Bills on SNF, which means Harrison -- who's now with NBC as a football analyst -- will be reunited with his former team in some capacity. Earlier in the week, both Harrison and fellow analyst Tony Dungy were in the facility for production meetings before the game kicked off.

So what was Vrabel's first reactions when asked about his fellow Super Bowl champion back in the building? About what one would expect.

"It would have been nicer to see him 20 years ago and still be ready to play for us," Vrabel recalled about his playing career with the fellow Patriots Hall of Famer. "But really, I think my career probably started to really take off, and the longevity of my career, partly due to Rodney and just how hard he worked at that age to take care of his body, but to still train his body. The violence in which he played with, the accountability in which he held me to and teammates, was something that I always admired. And so, any chance that I can get to be around him is great. But I always enjoyed my six years with Rodney."

If you read that quote and thought that those descriptions Vrabel gave to Harrison sounded familiar, it's exactly the kind of attitude Vrabel is hoping to bring to his roster.

"I think it's also hard to find those types of guys that are willing to protect the team, not worry about conflict and not worry about saying something to somebody," Vrabel said. "Rodney wasn't big into feelings. He was a great friend and a great teammate, but he cared about winning, he cared about the team, how we played, how we prepared and how we competed. And if that bothered somebody, it certainly didn't bother him."

Harrison was the testament of a true football player. Former head coach Bill Belichick spoke highly of Harrison, constantly saying he's one of the best safeties of his generation and deserves his bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Now how can the Patriots of 2025, the ones looking to string together wins for the first time all season, be more like Harrison?

"We're going to keep searching it, keep building it and then explaining to these guys that it's okay that if you care about somebody," Vrabel said when asked if a player of Harrison's caliber was a generational thing across the league. "If we put the time in to have some connections and care about somebody, you can have some truthful conversations and say things that when you say it to a friend, they probably take it to heart, when you say it to a stranger, they probably think you're full of it."

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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