Patriots' Drake Maye discusses adjusting to having Mike Vrabel as HC

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper recently suggested that some teammates may experience a tough transition working under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel this spring. 

Second-year quarterback Drake Maye spoke with reporters on Thursday about adjusting to Vrabel's style.

"I think it’s coming in here, have your head on a swivel, get to work," Maye explained, as shared by Karen Guregian of MassLive. "I think that’s the vibe I’ve caught. Don’t spend time outside. We’re in the building. We’re Phase 1 (of the offseason program), just finished first week of Phase 2. We’re only here four hours. So I think it’s kind of figuring it out with the new coaches. Who’s learning? Who’s spending time outside of here learning it, and who wants to help us win when the season comes. I think that’s what they want."

Twelve months ago, the Patriots had rookies at the quarterback and head-coaching positions. Jerod Mayo never served as a head coach before he was hired to replace Bill Belichick in January 2024. While Mayo seemingly wasn't ready to be the leading man for an organization, Vrabel is a one-time NFL Coach of the Year Award winner who guided the Tennessee Titans to one conference championship game appearance during a tenure that ran from 2018 to 2023.

Much has been made about how Vrabel will look to improve the Patriots' culture immediately. Part of that process involved New England selecting "high-character players" in this year's draft, such as offensive tackle Will Campbell and running back TreVeyon Henderson.