New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel sent a clear message to running back TreVeyon Henderson after the rookie shared a controversial post on Tuesday.
The Post
Henderson quoted the bible verse Matthew 5:10 in apparent support of former Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey, who was cut on Tuesday after posting anti-pride comments on Instagram.
Vrabel’s Response
During the annual league meeting, Vrabel shared his thoughts on the situation. He said Henderson needed to be “educated” before making those statements.
“I think there is a fine line,” Vrabel said. “I want to tell you, I love TreVeyon.”
Vrabel added that the running back cares deeply about the team, his faith, his family, his wife and the people around him.
“And so I want them to be able to express what they believe in their heart(s) and in their mind(s), but also (I) want to make sure that they’re educated. And we want to be inclusive. Everything we want to do (is) to provide an environment for people to want to feel comfortable, but also to share their personal beliefs. And then also, we represent the team. And we represent the organization.”
The A.J. Brown Question
With speculation about a potential A.J. Brown arrival to the Patriots, Mike Vrabel sent a message on Tuesday.
“We’ve talked about this since last January. We’re going to try to do everything we can to strengthen our roster through the draft, through free agency, multiple ways of player acquisition,” Vrabel said.
“So anything that we can continue to do to strengthen the roster, we’re going to try to do.”
This might be the final confirmation that Brown will join the team he grew up supporting. However, a trade will need to wait. The Eagles would be better off if Brown were on the roster on June 1.
The Bottom Line
Mike Vrabel loves TreVeyon Henderson. But he also wants him to be educated, to be inclusive, and to remember that when you play for the Patriots, you represent more than yourself.
The message was clear: believe what you want. But understand the weight of your words. And know that in New England, everyone is welcome. Even if you have to learn that lesson the hard way.