Patriots' Mike Vrabel Addresses TreVeyon Henderson's Post After Jaden Ivey Was Waived by Bulls

Head coach Mike Vrabel said the New England Patriots "want to be inclusive" in how they respond to a controversial social media post by running back TreVeyon Henderson.

Henderson posted on Monday in support of Jaden Ivey, who was waived by the Chicago Bulls after posting multiple videos criticizing NBA teams for scheduling Pride Night celebrations.

"I love TreVeyon. I love the person," Vrabel said Tuesday at the NFL's annual league meetings in Phoenix. "He cares deeply about our team. He cares deeply about his faith. He cares deeply about his family, his wife, the people in our building.

"I want them to be able to be able to express what they believe, in their heart and in their mind, but also want to make sure that they're educated. We want to be inclusive. Everything we want to do wants to provide an environment for people to want to feel comfortable, but also to share their personal beliefs."

Henderson posted a supportive Bible verse on Monday in response to a video of Ivey comparing the NBA's Pride initiatives to celebrating "unrighteousness."

New York Jets cornerback Azareye'h Thomas also posted in support of Ivey following the guard's release by the Bulls.

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told reporters Monday he felt Ivey's post didn't match "certain standards I think we want to have as an organization."

"We've got people in here from all different backgrounds ... it's always been, I think, from the top, we're all going to work well together, we're all going to basically take care of each other, we're going to accept each other, we're going to be hard-working, we're going to be accountable, we're going to be respectful, and we're going to be professional," Donovan said.

The move to waive Ivey, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the season, came days after the Bulls announced he would miss the rest of the campaign with a knee injury.

Ivey, acquired from the Detroit Pistons ahead of the February trade deadline, appeared in just four games with the Bulls before he was sidelined by the injury.

Henderson, selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2025 draft, is expected to lead the New England backfield alongside Rhamondre Stevenson as he heads into his second season.

Henderson recorded 911 rushing yards and nine touchdowns while appearing in 17 regular-season games and four playoff contests during New England's run to a Super Bowl LX appearance.