New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had one prediction amid owner Robert Kraft getting snubbed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame voters.
Kraft, one of the finalists, didn’t get selected for the hall this year, but Vrabel expressed his confidence that it’s a matter of when instead of if for the longtime owner. Vrabel is about to lead the Patriots in the franchise’s 12th Super Bowl appearance, and Kraft has been part of 10 of those going into Sunday.
“I would just say that that’s unfortunate,” Vrabel told reporters on Tuesday. “I would say that in my experiences with Robert, he’s more than deserving, and he’ll be in the Hall of Fame. I’m not in charge of deciding when that happens.”
“I appreciate the relationship that I’ve had with him and the success as a player and now as a coach,” Vrabel added. “He’s done everything that we’ve needed and the support and provided the support that we’ve needed as a staff and as a team. I’m glad that he’s back here and continuing to help us do things that will help the team win and ultimately allow him to be recognized.”
Vrabel was part of the Patriots’ first three Super Bowl-winning teams as a star linebacker. He will now look to join a rare group of men who have won a Super Bowl both as a player and a coach.
Mike Vrabel Offers a Unique Super Bowl Experience For His Team
Since Vrabel has played in Super Bowls before, it gives him a unique perspective to offer his team in preparing for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.
“I think I always try to use every experience that I’ve had over the course of close to 30 years in this league, whether that’s as a player or a coach, to try to help the team and help individual players do their job,” Vrabel said. “I think you have to be ready for every situation that occurs and the opportunities present themselves in these types of games. You only have so many opportunities to make a play, so you always have to be ready.”
Mike Vrabel Dismisses Dynasty Discussion
With Kraft and former head coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots built a dynasty in the 2000s and 2010s, and Vrabel had a part in that as a player. But don’t talk to Vrabel about this season’s Patriots potentially starting a new dynasty.
“I don’t know where the dynasty would come from,” Vrabel said. “Maybe the teams that I was a part of in the past, you could consider that, but we’re just trying to build a program. First year of the program, we ended up here, and we’re excited about it, and we’re ready to go, or we will be ready to go.”
Vrabel took on the head coaching job last year after Jerod Mayo didn’t pan out as the head coach. The Patriots were mired in back-to-back 4-13 seasons, and Vrabel rebuilt the roster with a big draft and even bigger salary cap space.
New England has a long way to go in order to reestablish a dynasty, but the Patriots can take a significant step against the Seahawks on Sunday.
Patriots’ Mike Vrabel Gets Honest Over Robert Kraft HOF Snub