Robert Kraft Shared This Reminder Before Introducing Mike Vrabel

Mike Vrabel is a very unique figure in Patriots history.

It all started in the early 2000s when Vrabel helped New England win the first three Super Bowl championships in franchise history. Everything came full circle for Vrabel on Sunday when he was officially hired as Patriots head coach.

But the former linebacker heightened his New England lore in between those key benchmarks. As longtime owner Robert Kraft reminded everyone before introducing Vrabel on Monday afternoon, the Patriots Hall of Famer was the opposing coach in Tom Brady’s final game as New England’s starting quarterback.

Vrabel, in only his second season as Tennessee’s head coach, led the Titans to an upset wild-card win over the third-seeded Patriots, who were defending Super Bowl champions. The visitors’ inspiring performance at Gillette Stadium under Vrabel’s watch halted New England’s streak of AFC Championship Game appearances at eight seasons.

From there, Brady left the Patriots to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England immediately went on a downward spiral. The Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since the 2018 campaign, but ownership clearly believes Vrabel has what it takes to end that drought.