Everything Mike Vrabel Said at Patriots' Press Conference amid A.J. Brown Trade Rumors, OTAs

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spoke with reporters at a Wednesday press conference as his team continued offseason team activities.

Of note, Vrabel was asked about his work-life balance and how he handled being a distraction this offseason.

Earlier this offseason, photos emerged on New York Post's Page Six of Vrabel at an adults-only resort in Arizona with NFL reporter Dianna Russini, formerly of The Athletic.

Vrabel issued these remarks on April 21, shortly after the resort pictures were published:

"I've had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, my family, the organization, coaches and players," Vrabel said in part. "Those have been positive and productive. We believe in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me, that starts with me. We never want our actions to affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction."

He also said a few days later that he would seek counseling and briefly stepped away from the team, beginning with the third day of the NFL draft. Vrabel was asked Wednesday if he regretted not being present with the team that Saturday:

Vrabel was asked if he thought he might miss more time moving forward:

Elsewhere, Vrabel was asked about the team possibly adding a wide receiver in light of persistent, offseason-long trade rumors connecting the Pats to Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown. The Pats could use a new No. 1 wideout after parting ways with Stefon Diggs this offseason.

Vrabel was also asked about rookie offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, the team's first-round pick at No. 28 overall. Simply put, he's impressed with his progress and versatility.

Some players haven't been at OTA's, namely wide receiver Keyshon Boutte and cornerback Christian Gonzalez. These are voluntary workouts, to be clear. Boutte is on an expiring deal, though. Gonzalez has two years left on his rookie deal after the Pats picked up their fifth-year option in 2027. One can surmise they both want long-term contracts.

There's plenty of time to get that done, of course.

In the interim, the Pats are hoping for another successful season after going from 4-13 to 14-3 and AFC champions in Vrabel's first year. The work on that front is well underway en route to Week 1, which features the team visiting the Seattle Seahawks in the 2026 season opener in a Super Bowl rematch.