FOXBORO, MASS. (WHDH) – A.J. Brown is living out his dream. He was sent to the team he thought would call his name on draft night in 2019.
“Yeah, that was a tough night,” Brown said. “I joked about it earlier, the Patriots been breakin’ my heart over the years… I was just disappointed, y’know? It was something, right where I wanted to be. You know, obviously, I wanted to play with Tom, so, uh, that didn’t happen. But, y’know, everything happens for a reason.”
Now, the three-time Pro Bowler gets to work with the current-day franchise quarterback in Foxboro. And Drake Maye has already impressed his new top target.
“He can make any throw; he’s very poised,” Brown said. “Like, today in the meeting, I would say he kinda took over the meeting. You know, Josh was speaking, and he, you know, kinda cut Josh off, not in a rude way, but you know, he just kinda took over, but it says so much for a young guy to know what he’s talking about, number one, and to lead, to be the voice of this team.”
The loudest voice Brown will hear is a familiar one: Head Coach Mike Vrabel. Vrabel was Brown’s first NFL head coach. Vrabel apparently made a tough first impression on him in Tennessee. But, according to Brown, he sees it in a new light because of his growth.
“I did not like him,” Brown said as he was laughing. “Yeah, I mean, I can say that now, you know… But what I’ve grown into, he’s a great guy. He’s a great guy, he coaches hard, he holds his guys accountable, you know? And I’m not saying that lightly. He really does. He leads this group, leads this team, and honestly, I believe that he’s daring somebody to challenge him, so he can show you, you know, he still thinks he can still play.”
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