SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Mike Vrabel’s remarkable Patriots turnaround earned him his second NFL Coach of the Year award.
New England’s head coach was recognized as the league’s best by the Associated Press during Thursday’s NFL Honors ceremony.
Vrabel, who also won Coach of the Year with the Tennessee Titans in 2021, steered the Patriots to a 14-3 record and a berth in Super Bowl LX in his first season on the job, revitalizing the storied franchise following back-to-back 4-13 campaigns.
A three-time champion during his Patriots playing career, Vrabel has a chance to become the fourth individual to win a Super Bowl as a player and a head coach, and the first to do so with the same team. The Patriots will face the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
“I can’t even put into words sometimes all he’s done for us, for me personally and just all of us as a team,” Patriots tight end and co-captain Hunter Henry said Thursday. “He really brought us together, man. He’s kind of the glue that holds this together. Obviously, we’re a really close team, but he demands a lot out of us, and I think everybody thrives off that. He knows the right buttons to push. It’s been fun to be a part of, and I love playing for Vrabes.”
Vrabel’s quarterback, Drake Maye, was a finalist for Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year, but lost out to Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, respectively.
Maye falling short in the MVP race was not a surprise after Stafford beat him out for first-team All-Pro honors. Maye made the second team, and the Pro Bowl, following a sensational sophomore season in which he led the NFL in completion percentage, yards per attempt, passer rating, QBR and expected points added per dropback, among other metrics.
Stafford had the edge in traditional counting stats, throwing for 4,707 yards to Maye’s 4,394 and 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions to Maye’s 31 and eight.
The two QBs were separated by just five voting points. Stafford received 266 points and 24 first-place votes; Maye, 261 and 23.
This weekend, the 23-year-old Maye will become the second-youngest QB to start a Super Bowl, behind Dan Marino in Super Bowl XIX. If Patriots defeat the favored Seahawks, he’d be the youngest-ever Super Bowl-winning signal-caller, breaking Ben Roethlisberger’s record.
“I think it all starts with talent,” Vrabel said this week. “I think he’s extremely talented. I think he’s athletic. I think he plays the position athletically and that allows him to be accurate with the football, whether that’s in the pocket or extended plays. He’s a competitor. He’s always trying to learn. Continues to build and develop as a leader. So, his success and his performance is a large part of why we’re here.”
Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (Offensive Rookie of the Year), wide receiver Stefon Diggs (Comeback Player of the Year) also were finalists for awards that went to Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey, respectively.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels won Assistant Coach of the Year.
