Mike Vrabel
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Mike Vrabel had something to say about Bill Belichick.
Patriots first-year head coach Mike Vrabel has plenty to worry about without thinking about New England’s former coach, the coach who led the teams on which Vrabel won his three Super Bowl rings as a linebacker. But Vrabel just can’t seem to stop answering questions about Bill Belichick.
Even as Vrabel was attempting to process the Patriots’ lackluster 20-13 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders in his debut as the team’s head coach — after months of promising a new, more aggressive “culture” and style of play compared to New England’s confused system that led to back-to-back 4-13 seasons — the former six-year coach of the Tennessee Titans was again confronted with a question about Belichick in his regularly scheduled Monday radio interview.
Belichick’s Puzzling ‘Not Welcome’ Claim
The repeated questions about Belichick, who was relieved of his duties with the Patriots in January, 2024, after 24 years as head coach, are not something that Vrabel invites. They have resulted mainly from Belichick’s own, often provocative behavior since leaving New England and taking over as head coach of college football’s North Carolina Tar Heels.
Monday’s question to Vrabel came after Belichick claimed that he was “not welcome” at the Patriots facilities in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The former coach’s claim came after reports that he had, for reasons that were not entirely clear, banned Patriots scouts from visiting UNC practice facilities. The decision seemed especially bizarre because Belichick had earlier promised that under his leadership, the Tar Heels football program would serve as a “pipeline” to the NFL for players.
Belichick Claims Patriots Do Not Welcome Him
On Saturday, following the Tar Heels’ uninspiring 20-3 win over an overmatched opponent in the Charlotte 49ers, Belichick for the first time publicly confirmed that he had barred Patriots scouts from visiting the team’s facilities.
“It’s clear I’m not welcome there at their facility. So they’re not welcome at ours,” Belichick told reporters during his postgame press conference Saturday.
Vrabel Contradicts Belichick’s Claim
While Belichick limits access for scouts from other NFL teams, the Patriots appear to be the only team that he has slapped with a 100 percent ban, which he now claims is a decision made from “simple” reciprocity.
But Belichick’s claim seemed to come as a surprise to Vrabel when he was asked about it during his appearance on Boston’s WEEI radio on Monday.
“Bill came back for, to the best of my knowledge, Tom’s ceremony,” Vrabel said, as quoted by ESPN.com — referring to Belichick’s appearance at Tom Brady’s induction last year into the Patriots Hall of Fame. “So I guess he’s welcomed back based on the fact he was there. I’ll just go by that — since his departure as the head coach here, he’s been back. I’ll leave it at that.”
Belichick Feels Disrespected by Former Employer
Belichick delivered well-received remarks at the Brady induction ceremony. In addition, just last week, Patriots owner Robert Kraft stated that he intends to build a statue of Belichick at Gillette Stadium, once the coach finally retires from football.
Both Vrabel’s statement Monday, and Kraft’s promise of a commemorative statue, would appear to send a strong message to Belichick that he is, in fact, “welcome” at the Patriots’ Foxborough headquarters.
But according to ESPN.com Patriots insider Mike Reiss, citing a source “close to” Belichick, the 73-year-old’s feeling of being unwelcome there are “less about his physical presence at the facility and more about being treated with respect.”