One of Tom Brady‘s former New England Patriots teammates came prepared for Brady’s humor at Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp this week.
Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, whose team joined the Bucs for practice, played with Brady in New England from 2001 to 2008. The former Patriots linebacker caught eight touchdown passes from Brady in goal-line situations according to the Tennessean.
Vrabel went a perfect 8-8 on throws from Brady in his career, and the Bucs quarterback couldn’t resist giving the Titans coach a hard time about it after a joint practice between the two teams.
“I think he’s toned down a little bit in his old age,” Brady said jokingly. “He was much more chattier as a player, so he complained a lot when I didn’t throw him the ball, like a typical diva receiver. I think he has mellowed out as a coach a little bit.”
Vrabel engineered a comeback on social media that evening with a photo of himself, Brady, and Brady’s oldest son, Jack.
“Jack Brady talking with his favorite former Patriot. Also pictured, Tom Brady,” Vrabel wrote.
Jack Brady talking with his favorite former Patriot. Also pictured, Tom Brady
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Brady on Vrabel, Titans Rumor
Ribbing aside, Brady had nothing but praise for Vrabel as a coach — especially after facing the Titans defense in practice. Brady threw a slew of incomplete passes against the Titans on Wednesday.
“He’s doing a great job. He’s a great coach,” Brady said. “Obviously, he was a great player so he kind of coaches the way he would have played, try to be smart, really make them beat you, and they’ve always done a good job of that.”
Brady also clarified this week that the Titans weren’t the mystery team that passed on him in free agency. Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill wasn’t the target of his NSFW comment on HBO’s The Shop that led to a myriad of guesses by NFL media.
“I like Ryan a lot,” Brady said. “He’s a great player. He’s obviously a great leader for that team. He’s done a great job. Last year was phenomenal and the year before that he was great. He’s beaten me quite a few times.”
Vrabel, Brady’s Paths Converge in College and The Pros
Brady and Vrabel actually go back to their college years where Brady played at Michigan and Vrabel played at archrival Ohio State in the 1990s. Varbel, 46, who is two years older than Brady, 44, never faced him on the field, though. Brady took the starting job at Michigan in 1998, two years after Vrabel’s senior season at Ohio State, 1996.
They then won three Super Bowls together in New England, and Brady threw touchdowns to Vrabel in two of those Big Games. Vrabel retired from the NFL in 2010 and worked his way up the coaching ladder between college and NFL teams. He took the Titans job in 2018.
Facing Vrabel’s Titans didn’t go well for Brady as a Patriot with an 0-2 record. That included Brady’s final game as a Patriot in January 2020 before signing with the Bucs.
Brady won’t get a third shot at playing against Vrabel’s Titans on Saturday as Bucs head coach Bruce Arians decided to rest starters. It may be the last time the Bucs face the Titans in Brady’s career, too. The Bucs don’t have the Titans on this year’s or next year’s schedule per Buccaneers.com.
Tampa and Tennessee meeting in the Super Bowl wouldn’t be impossible, and, if so, Brady and Vrabel going back-and-forth with a few more barbs could happen again.
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Tom Brady, Ex-Teammate Exchange Barbs Over Social Media