The 2025 New England Patriots are new in more ways than one. Yet no way is more important than the man at the top, Mike Vrabel, who sets the tone, and that tone is all about energy. Vrabel's energy is unbounded and is visible in every game, as he motivates his team with his animated sideline manner. That's helping instill a winning mentality in a once-great franchise that had lost its way.
Vrabel is seen not only patrolling the sidelines during games but even accompanying his players as they make their way downfield. It's a look that hasn't been seen in Foxborough in decades. His two predecessors weren't so inclined, but Vrabel is, and his players appreciate the change.
The new Head Coach is his own man with his own ways. A former player, he knows what he wanted to see from his Head Coach, and now, in his second iteration in command, he's setting his own standards for how a Head Coach both supports and motivates his players. And so far - so good. The 2024, 4-13 remodeled Patriots are 7-2 to start 2025. In Patriot Nation, what's not to like?
Mike Vrabel's energy on the sideline is "infectious"
The Patriots' transformation began on January 12, 2025, when owner Robert Kraft made one of his best decisions ever and hired Mike Vrabel to run his football operation. Vrabel hit the ground running with his infectious energy and hasn't stopped since.
Coach Vrabel brought the energy yesterday 👏 pic.twitter.com/SpfsZvZonP
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 3, 2025
The top guy wants his players to be as animated as he is. The transformation has already resulted in an energetic, if imperfect, team that doesn't yet know just how good it can be. But it's getting there. Winning six games in a row after a tepid start to the season will do that.
The 2025 Patriots have been totally transformed in one offseason
When Mike Vrabel took the Patriots' job, he knew he had a bottom-of-the-NFL roster on his hands. It presented a daunting challenge to the best of NFL people. Yet Vrabel knew he had the single most important component of any NFL team on hand in his soon-to-be second-year quarterback, Drake Maye. That fact made all the difference.
Having the portfolio to reconstruct the roster as he saw fit, Vrabel knew that if he could rebuild the offensive line and add a couple of better receivers, Maye was ready to tear the cover off the NFL. As a rookie with neither, he threw for a solid 66 percent completion percentage along with 15 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. Some saw mediocrity; Vrabel saw monstrous potential.
He rebuilt 80 percent of the O-line and added some veteran receivers, including Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins. The O-line is improved over the 2024 version, but it's still a work in progress, giving up sacks by the dozens.
Regardless, Maye's mobility helps make up for the deficiencies, and he's now in the MVP conversation. Once the long-term O-line and other pieces of the offensive puzzle are fully in place, Maye's performances will be even better.
Mike Vrabel's ability to transform a dreadful roster in one offseason and infuse his players with his own energetic approach has literally been a game-changer. The Patriots are winners, and heading for the NFL playoffs and maybe more. Combining infectious energy, coaching acumen, and football personnel savvy is a winning combination. The Patriots got it all when they hired Mike Vrabel.