Potential Patriots Free Agent Target Endorses Mike Vrabel Hire

The New England Patriots will be looking to address several roster needs when the 2025 NFL free agency period begins in March.

One hole that the Patriots will be looking to fill early is the backup quarterback position. The Jacoby Brissett experiment didn't go as planned last season, which forced Drake Maye into the starting job earlier than expected. Although Maye ended up showing promise under center, New England still needs to find a reliable backup QB in case of any potential disasters.

Veteran passer Jameis Winston is one free-agent QB who the Patriots could potentially target to replace Brissett next month. Although a signing is far from guaranteed, the former 5,000-yard passer has made it clear he's a big fan of the franchise's recent coaching hire.

Patriots News: Jameis Winston Praises Mike Vrabel

Winston has been in New Orleans this week as a Super Bowl correspondent for FOX Sports. The former Florida State QB recently ran into Patriots beat writer Taylor Kyles in the lead-up to Sunday's action and shared his thoughts on New England's decision to hire head coach Mike Vrabel.

"I know that (New England) is going to be disciplined. I know that your team is going to be tough," Winston said. "I know (Vrabel) is going to break back that Patriot way."

Even though he's yet to directly play under the Patriots' new coach, Winston is familiar with Vrabel from their time in Cleveland last season. The Browns hired the linebacker-turned-coach as a coaching consultant last March before signing the 31-year-old QB to a one-year contract about a week later.

Even though the duo's time together was brief, it didn't take Winston long to appreciate Vrabel's honesty.

"The personality that Mike Vrabel has is a straightforward personality because he is a player," Winston said. "He knows what (message) players like to receive and he knows how far he can go with a player."

Vrabel, 49, gained a ton of experience after spending 13 seasons in the NFL — eight of which were spent with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowl rings. The Akron, OH native coached in smaller roles at Ohio State and with the Houston Texans before being named Tennessee Titans HC in 2018, leading to a 54-45 record and three playoff appearances across six seasons.

Vrabel learned the importance of having a trustworthy backup QB during that time, which is why he might be open to working with Winston. The former Pro Bowl gunslinger played well as the Browns' QB2 last season, completing 61.1% of passes for 2,121 passing yards, 13 touchdowns (to 12 interceptions), and an 80.6 passer rating across 12 games (7 starts) in 2024.

Patriots fans won't have to wait much longer to find out if a Vrabel-Winston reunion will be happening this offseason. This year's free agency period officially begins on Wednesday, March 12.

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