Patriots HC Mike Vrabel responds to Stefon Diggs, Christian Barmore allegations

Reports revealed this week that New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive tackle Christian Barmore are both facing serious charges ahead of the playoffs. 

On Wednesday, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spoke with reporters for the first time since those stories surfaced.

Mike Vrabel says Stefon Diggs, Christian Barmore are going through "legal process"

"I don’t think it’s disappointing at all," Vrabel said about the Diggs and Barmore matters, per video shared by Pats Planet and The Athletic's Chad Graff. "I think that these are allegations, like you mentioned in your question. It's things we have to handle. Every day, there's distractions. Some are smaller than others. And I'm confident that we'll focus on [this coming Sunday's home game versus the 7-9 Miami Dolphins], and those two individuals...will be able to handle the ongoing legal process."

Diggs is facing charges of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an incident that allegedly occurred on Dec. 2 and reportedly involved a private chef. Meanwhile, Barmore is facing a domestic assault charge regarding an incident that allegedly occurred on Aug. 8.

Previous stories noted that Diggs and/or Barmore could land on the commissioner's exempt list and be made unavailable to play before the upcoming postseason tournament wraps up. According to Graff, Vrabel said on Wednesday he hadn't "heard anything that would keep either player" from participating in the Week 18 matchup versus the Dolphins. 

Mike Vrabel addresses Patriots' statement of support for Stefon Diggs

As ESPN's Mike Reiss shared, the Patriots said in a statement released on Tuesday that they "support Stefon" and "will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary." David Meier, Diggs' attorney, said in a different statement that the allegations against his client are "unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated -- because they did not occur." 

According to Ethan Hurwitz of Sports Illustrated and 7News Boston, Vrabel said on Wednesday that the Patriots "understand there are allegations" and "want to support each and every player." Per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, Vrabel didn't say whether Barmore denied any wrongdoing. 

Karen Guregian of MassLive added that neither Diggs nor Barmore was expected to speak with media members on Wednesday. It's unclear if either will publicly address their situations later in the week. 

As for on-the-field matters, the 13-3 Patriots already clinched the AFC East division title and could earn home-field advantage through the playoffs if they beat the Dolphins, and the 13-3 Denver Broncos fail to defeat the 11-5 Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon.