For weeks now, the New England Patriots have been surrounded by two major stories. The first is their pursuit of Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown in a trade. The other is the scandal around head coach Mike Vrabel and reporter Dianna Russini.
There has even been some concern that the two stories could become intertwined, and the scandal could hurt the Patriots’ pursuit of Brown. Luckily, for New England, this doesn’t appear to be the case just yet. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter explained on The Pat McAfee Show.
“There’s nothing that has transpired here, despite all of the events in New England, that has deterred this trade from coming up,” Schefter said on Monday. “I still think it is on track. I still think it is going to happen. I still think it’s likely to involve a future 1, likely a 2028 first-round draft pick.”
Schefter went on to add in that appearance that Brown “knows where his future is headed at this moment.” Again, given the speculation and recent reporting, that would seemingly be the Patriots.
A.J. Brown Already Played for Mike Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans
GettyA.J. Brown and Mike Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans
One of the reasons why A.J. Brown makes sense for the New England Patriots is that he has a familiarity with Mike Vrabel. The two had previously worked together when Brown played and Vrabel coached the Tennessee Titans.
In total, Brown played for the Titans from 2019 to 2021. Vrabel was the coach the entire time there, and he had some phenomenal seasons. That included having more than 1,000 receiving yards twice, as he established himself as one of the premier pass catchers in the NFL.
With that in mind, it stands to reason that what could hurt the Patriots potentially trading for Brown is if something were to happen to Vrabel. That is, if he were to be fired or suspended over the scandal. Then, Brown wouldn’t have that familiar figure to play for.
Of course, as it stands now, the NFL is not investigating Vrabel. Meanwhile, Patriots fans gave him a standing ovation at a recent event. So, his position seems secure.
Not Everyone Agrees Mike Vrabel is Safe Amid Scandal
GettyNew England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel
While the scandal has largely hurt Mike Vrabel in his personal life, it seemingly hasn’t hurt him in his professional life. He is still the head coach in New England. He is still generally respected by his players publicly.
However, the scandal is far from over. More information could come out, and that’s where trouble could brew for Vrabel. Among those who think this could lead to issues for Vrabel is reporter Mike Florio.
“We’re one news cycle away potentially, at any given moment, from him not being able to coach the team this year,” Florio said.
More information on the scandal is likely going to come out at some point. It’s just a matter of whether or not that information is worse than what’s already out. In particular, if he ever crossed further lines or let the relationship that he had with Russini get in the way of his professional career.
Could the Mike Vrabel Scandal Hurt the Patriots’ Pursuit of A.J. Brown?