New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed rumors on Wednesday regarding alleged friction between himself and quarterback Drake Maye after the team’s slow start to the 2026 NFL season. When questioned about external claims of tension, Vrabel quickly dismissed the reports during his weekly press conference.
The rumors surfaced earlier in the week on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show, where host Greg Hill cited an unnamed “insider” alleging a growing rift. The report claimed friction exists because Maye-drafted in 2024 before Vrabel’s arrival in 2025-was supposedly not “his guy.”
Faced with questions about the radio broadcast, Vrabel did not hold back in refuting the speculation.
“He heard it from who? Those are my favorites. Unnamed sources?” Vrabel told reporters on Wednesday, via Mark Daniels of MassLive.com. “Let me just tell you why I’m here. I’m here because Drake was their quarterback. Believe it or not, I had choices of where I wanted to coach. I wanted to coach here because Drake was the quarterback. I don’t really have much to add other than that about a comment from an unnamed source.”
Early Season Struggles and Increased Scrutiny
The chatter coincides with an underwhelming 1-2 start for New England, highlighted by a 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. After finishing as an NFL MVP runner-up under Vrabel last season, Maye has struggled with ball security, throwing six interceptions and losing a fumble through the first three games.
Despite the offensive struggles, Vrabel has defended his quarterback publicly while offering constructive advice. Using a golf analogy earlier in the week, Vrabel spoke about easing the pressure on the young signal-caller.
“Sometimes we’re so focused on it that we try to choke the life out of the golf club, and we’re squeezing it so damn tight that the ball has no choice but to go sideways,” Vrabel said. “We need to stop trying to choke the life out of every single play. We need to relax.”
Team Leadership Rallies Behind Maye
Teammates have also stepped up to support the franchise quarterback as the Patriots prepare for an AFC East matchup against the undefeated Buffalo Bills (3-0).
“We’re riding with him until the wheels come off,” Patriots tackle Will Campbell told reporters regarding Maye.
While outside noise surrounding New England’s offense is likely to persist until the team returns to the win column, both Vrabel and the locker room maintain a unified front ahead of Sunday’s crucial divisional contest.
