Mike Vrabel has opened up the New England Patriots’ training camp by roasting some of the media members covering the team. On Thursday, he took aim at one of his own players, as star safety Jabrill Peppers felt his wrath.
When taking over the Patriots, Vrabel made it clear that he wanted to completely change the culture in the building. That means taking a no-nonsense approach to football, while also playing a tough, physical style on the field.
If there were any doubts about what Vrabel was looking to accomplish this season, he made things clear when he called out the media on back-to-back days to begin training camp. On Thursday, Peppers tested Vrabel, and he paid the price.
Vrabel is known to get involved in his team’s practices, and he ended up donning a No. 5 jersey in the team’s latest session, which happens to be the number Peppers wears. When Peppers told Vrabel he couldn’t wear his number, his new head coach quickly fired back.
“I keep telling him to take that five off. He’s not tough enough,” Peppers said to Vrabel. “He told me to go check in on the Patriots Hall of Fame. Nothing I can say to come back from that.”
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Players typically didn’t want to mess with Vrabel during his career in New England as a player, when he helped the franchise win three Super Bowls. As it turns out, you still don’t want to mess with him, even though he’s a coach now.
Peppers dealt with some legal trouble last season, but heading into 2025, he has a clean slate ahead of him, and he figures to play a key role at the back of the secondary alongside fellow starting safety Kyle Dugger.
His barbs aren’t getting to Vrabel, but it’s clear the competitive nature of Vrabel’s team is beginning to form. He will continue to look to get his team ready for action when they take the field for practice again on Friday.
