New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye thought he was doing the right thing by backing his head coach, but NFL fans aren't having any of it. The young signal-caller is getting roasted for his comments about Mike Vrabel's messy off-field drama, which erupted after photos surfaced of Vrabel with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.
Earlier this week, Maye was asked about the scandal while at the Patriots' facility. He didn't hesitate to throw his support behind Vrabel, saying, “We’re here for coach, we love coach. We know he’s dealing with some stuff off the field and out of the coaching world but we’re here for him and I know he’s gonna come back.”
That message of unity might have played well in the locker room, but outside it? Not so much. Social media lit up with criticism, accusing Maye of treating Vrabel like a victim instead of a man who made a personal mistake. “He cheated on his wife with a reporter, he’s not suffering a life threatening illness,” fired back Jake Asman of ESPN New York. Another fan piled on: “Treating him like a cancer patient bro he just cheated on his wife.”
The backlash is part of a broader wave of scrutiny aimed at anyone who seems to be going easy on Vrabel. Earlier, Boston media took heat for its soft coverage of the scandal, and now players are feeling the sting too. Maye's comments struck many as tone-deaf, especially given the timeline: photos from 2020 and a recent Arizona resort meetup suggest a pattern, not a one-off lapse.
Vrabel addressed the situation on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, announcing he would undergo counseling. “I can only say that whatever my family needs, that’s what I’m going to provide,” he told reporters. “I’m confident that if I weren’t able to be here, we have people in place. I just know I’m going to take the necessary steps with the people I care about — that’s my family and this team.”
The coach's statement didn't do much to quiet critics, who note that his family includes his wife, Jen Vrabel. Reports have emerged that Jen called an emergency marriage summit after the scandal broke, and photos of her looking somber at the airport only fueled sympathy for her—and anger at her husband.
Despite the off-field chaos, Vrabel hasn't lost the locker room. Patriots players are rallying around him, and for good reason: he took a team from the basement of the AFC East to conference champions in one season. That kind of turnaround breeds loyalty. But fans see a double standard. “They keep talking like Vrabel is being attacked or a victim,” one user pointed out. Another added, “We’re here for the man that played in his family’s face for SIX YEARS. Shut up Drake.”
Maye's rookie season was already under a microscope, and now he's learning that defending a coach in crisis can backfire. The Patriots faithful delivered a thunderous message of support for Vrabel at a recent event, but online, the tone is far less forgiving. For Maye, the lesson is clear: in the court of public opinion, you can't always play peacemaker.
