New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel appears to have shifted his position on running back TreVeyon Henderson’s social activism. Back in April, Vrabel cautioned Henderson about the importance of representing the team when speaking publicly. On Friday, however, the coach struck a far more supportive tone.
Vrabel's New Response to Henderson's Advocacy
Vrabel was asked Friday about Henderson’s defense of a Massachusetts couple who say they lost custody of their daughter to the Department of Children and Families after refusing to allow her to transition to a boy. Authorities have indicated the case involved allegations of abuse by the couple, though they have not been convicted of any crime.
Henderson spent significant time over the past couple of days defending the couple on social media and with beat reporters on Thursday. While the matter has nothing to do with football, Vrabel was asked how he views Henderson’s public position, especially given his April comments about a “fine line” when expressing personal beliefs publicly.
“I think he’s handled it, I mean, about as maturely,” Vrabel said. “I think he tried to explain himself. TreVeyon is a special person, great teammate. I love being around him.”
He continued: “And I think he pretty much spoke on what he thought and what he believes, and I think that that’s impressive. You know, for him to be able to speak on it, and [I] leave it up to him.”
A Contrast With April's Cautious Approach
The coach’s latest remarks stand in contrast to his stance during the NFL annual meeting in Arizona in April. At that time, Vrabel sat at a roundtable with reporters and did not embrace Henderson advocating on behalf of former Chicago Bulls player Jaden Ivey. Ivey was released by the Bulls after he spoke out against the NBA promoting Pride Month and “unrighteousness.”
In April, Vrabel reacted to Henderson’s defense of Ivey by saying: “I think there’s a fine line. I’ll tell you, I love TreVeyon. I love the person. He cares deeply about our team. He cares deeply about his faith. He cares deeply about his family. His wife. The people in our building.”
He added: “And so, I want them to be able to express what they believe in their heart and in their mind. But also, I want to make sure that they’re educated. We want to be inclusive. Everything we want to do wants to provide an environment for people to feel comfortable. But also to share their personal beliefs and, also, we represent the team and we represent the organization.”
Notably, there was no mention of getting “educated” from Vrabel on Friday, perhaps because he realized those comments suggested his player didn’t know what he was talking about. And there was definitely none of the “represent the team” narrative, for reasons that have become well known.
The Russini Scandal and Its Aftermath
Vrabel didn’t exactly “represent” the Patriots well during the offseason when it was discovered by Page Six that he spent the days prior to an Arizona meeting with former NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a Sedona resort. It wasn’t a good look for the Patriots that their married coach was photographed with a married female reporter holding hands, embracing and spending time together at a pool and hot tub.
That entire episode was obviously embarrassing for Vrabel. But perhaps it was also instructive in that he has realized a player taking a moral stand on a topic is not representing the team poorly regardless of whether some people disagree or not.
So, maybe something good has come out of the Russini scandal for Vrabel. Maybe.
