Vrabel Says Bill Belichick Welcomed at Patriots, 'Nothing Surprises Me' About UNC Ban

In the wake of UNC head coach Bill Belichick banning the New England Patriots from scouting his team, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel isn't taking the same approach.

Per ESPN's Mike Reiss, Vrabel said during his weekly radio interview with WEEI that Belichick is welcome at the Patriots' facility "to the best of my knowledge," though he added that "nothing surprises me" regarding his decision to ban Patriots scouts from the university.

Belichick declared on Saturday that he banned New England scouts because it is "obvious I'm not welcome at their facility, so they're not welcome at ours." When asked about the situation on Monday, Vrabel said he has no knowledge of that being the case.

"Bill came back for, to the best of my knowledge, [to] Tom's ceremony," Vrabel said, referring to Belichick's appearance at legendary quarterback Tom Brady's team Hall of Fame ceremony in June 2024. "So I guess he's welcomed back based on the fact he was there. I'll just go by that -- since his departure as the head coach here, he's been back. I'll leave it at that."

Vrabel played under Belichick for most of his playing career and won three Super Bowls with the Patriots. While he and the 73-year-old may have a cordial relationship, Reiss noted that relations between Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft "have been strained since the sides parted ways in January 2024." A source told Reiss that Belichick's "reference to being welcome in New England is less about his physical presence at the facility and more about being treated with respect."

Despite the perception, Kraft recently announced that he plans to erect a statue of Belichick in the near future.

"When that great 20-year era ended, it was always my intention to commission a statue for both Tommy and Bill when their respective careers were over, playing and coaching," Kraft told WBZ-TV, per Reiss. "When Bill's coaching career ends, we look forward to sitting down with him and having a statue made to be right next to Tommy."