Mike Vrabel is already having to walk back comments just days away from the New England Patriots' second preseason game of the exhibition season.
Following New England's dominant win over the Washington Commanders in their preseason opener, the Patriots' head coach was fixated on a turnover committed by starting QB Drake Maye on the team's first possession of the game. Rather than getting rid of the ball and moving on, Maye attempted to make something happen and wound up fumbling the football. Washington recovered that fumble, and Vrabel was not happy about it.
“That’s a bad decision,” Vrabel said, per Karen Guregian of MassLive. “I think we’re going to need better from him. I think he knows that. That’s obvious. It wasn’t there. We just have to find a way to get rid of the football or take a sack and punt and play defense.”
On Wednesday, Vrabel spoke again about Maye's decision-making and leadership qualities, but this time he went with a different tone, via Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.
Mike Vrabel says Drake Maye isn’t lacking in leadership, he always just wants more from every player.
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) August 13, 2025
Vrabel: “There’s no finished products, no matter what.”
Pats' Mike Vrabel Clarifies Criticism of Drake Maye After Preseason Win
Vrabel is a very intense coach. He was the same way as a player. Sometimes that benefits him on the sidelines, and sometimes he can be a hindrance. In this instance, Vrabel seems to think he may have gone a little too far with his criticism of the second-year quarterback and did his best to smooth things over on Wednesday.
Maye saw limited action in that preseason opener, attempting just five passes while completing three of them. The sack leading to the fumble was undoubtedly his worst decision of the evening. The former North Carolina Tar Heels standout did try to make up for it with a rushing touchdown later in the game before he was ultimately relieved of his duties by Joshua Dobbs.
Should Maye be more cautious with the ball in his hands after turning it over 12 times as a rookie? Absolutely. Did Vrabel go a little overboard with his criticism of a player who led a touchdown drive as part of his two series on the field? That can also be true.
In the end, there is likely no harm done by these comments. Walking them back in the manner that Vrabel did on Wednesday should only help all sides move forward. The Patriots have bigger fish to fry this season, and publicly addressing a preseason fumble in the manner Vrabel did only took the focus off of those goals for a moment.