Throughout his tenure in New England, Bill Belichick was constantly criticized for his approach to coaching, which became an even bigger topic in the post-Tom Brady era. There were concerns about how he would relate to the younger generation coming in, especially since the Patriots needed a quarterback.
His style of coaching is what led many fans to believe it was time for a change after another disappointing season in 2023, leading to the start of Jerod Mayo's time as the new head coach. But his decision to go the opposite of Belichick inevitably led to his demise, forcing Robert Kraft to move on and hire Mike Vrabel this offseason.
Given his six-year history as the Titans' head coach and his storied career as a player, it was clear why Vrabel was the choice to lead the Patriots back to relevancy, and it hasn't taken long to see more examples of why he was the right one to hire.
Mike Vrabel is not interested in how bad the Patriots 2024 season was
In a rare behind-the-scenes look at the offseason, the Patriots have announced a documentary-style series that will be posted on YouTube called "Forged in Foxboro" over the next few months. They released the first episode last week, which began when Vrabel was hired and showed how things unfolded from the Combine, free agency, and the draft.
There were many interesting tidbits in the episode, but one part stood out the most to fans: Vrabel's complete disregard for what happened during the 2024 season in an expletive-filled explanation as to why it doesn't matter.
“Somebody asked me, ‘Are you worried about what went wrong last year?’ Why the f--k would I care about what happened last year?” I’m worried about what’s going right today and tomorrow and the next day. We’re not worried about what went wrong. We’re focused on what’s going to go right.”
Talk about setting the tone.
He's not wrong, though, and it shows that he is giving everyone a fresh slate to prove the kind of player they are and can be for the Patriots moving forward. Considering how poorly the 2024 season went for several players, it's beneficial to have a new head coach with a different mindset on approaching the offseason to give them another chance to earn their spot on the roster.
It's also an attitude that is a breath of fresh air after a season in which it felt like players were not held accountable for their words or their actions. That led to poor performances, players speaking out to the media, and Mayo having to clean up their messes or the ones he created himself.
That won't be the case with Vrabel, as accountability is one of his biggest prerequisites for being on the team.