Total Pro Sports
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel played his final NFL season in 2010, but the transition to coaching, apparently, isn’t enough to protect his body from more violent blows.
Last week, Mike Vrabel had to break up a fight during the Patriots’ joint practice with the Washington Commanders. Rookie offensive tackle Will Campbell accidentally made contact with Vrabel during the skirmish, leading to a small cut and visible bleeding on the cheek.
Turns out, last week’s brouhaha with the Commanders was only an appetizer for Vrabel breaking up practices involving an opponent. On Thursday, cameras caught Vrabel having to stop another fight during the Patriots-Minnesota Vikings joint practice.
Mike Vrabel wasn’t left bleeding this time, but he inadvertently ended up at the bottom of the pile during the scuffle:
#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel in the bottom of the pile in this last fight here at #Vikings training camp: pic.twitter.com/RUeeeFiSBb
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 14, 2025
Is it too late for Vrabel to adjust his contract and ask owner Robert Kraft for a bonus every time his body gets pummeled in practices?
Well, Vrabel is trying to implement the “bully ball” style he successfully built during his six-year run as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. If Vrabel is willing to get hit in practice, what’s stopping his players from getting ultra physical in games?
Vrabel went 54-45-0 over his six seasons with Tennessee, making his firing in 2024 a mild surprise. The 2021 Coach of the Year led the Titans to four winning seasons, three playoff berths, two AFC South division crowns and a surprise trip to the 2019 AFC Championship Game.
The Vrabel coaching era will kick off on Sept. 7, when the new-look Patriots welcome Geno Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders to Gillette Stadium in the season opener. Though he’ll be performing in the broadcast booth elsewhere, Patriots legend Tom Brady will be semi-involved in this game, as he’s now a minority owner of the Raiders.
