Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Transcript 12/26
PATRIOTS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL
PRESS CONFERENCE
December 26, 2025
Q: Might you have any updates for us on players?
MV: Yeah. [Robert] Spillane, [Khyiris] Tonga, [Harold] Landry [III], [Jared] Wilson, [Kayshon] Boutte, [Mack] Hollins and [Milton] Williams will be out. Pop [DeMario Douglas] and [TreVeyon] Henderson are questionable.
Q: So, Milton Williams is out. So, no activation?
MV: Out.
Q: Seven players out. Will it take a New Year’s miracle for any of them to practice next week?
MV: No, I don’t think it’ll take a – no, we’ll see where that is and we’ll go from there. They’re just not available for the game. A couple of them are in protocol and a couple of them have something else going on. We’ll see where we’re at after the game. That’s the most important thing.
Q: With the practice squad, being able to elevate guys, I know we’ve talked about it a little bit in the past, but how vital is that when you get a week like this?
MV: Everybody deals with it. It’s not something that’s new to the National Football League, to me or anybody else. We’ll elevate some guys, have to sign some guys and go from there.
Q: What did you get accomplished today?
MV: I thought, again, coming in back after Christmas, thought it was business as normal and as usual, all the stuff that we have to focus on here at the end of the week. Two-minute, red zone and moving the field. I thought guys got into it pretty good.
Q: Coach, when it comes to incentive this time of year, how aware of them are you, and do you try to make a plan or is it just focused on winning?
MV: I think everything we do is focused on winning. I try to be aware of as much things that affect our team or our players as I possibly can. But again, I think the focus is on winning. Like we said last week, if you make winning plays, those will usually be enough, and that will be enough personally. That will be the plays that you need to make if you focus on winning.
Q: We haven’t seen Efton [Chism III] play a lot on offense so far this year. What have you seen from him in practice?
MV: He’s always prepared. There’s hard workers on this team. I would say none that probably work harder than Efton. I’m not going to say that he’s the hardest worker, but you’d be hard pressed to find players that work harder than him, to be prepared, to be ready and take advantage of his opportunity, which it looks, by all accounts, that he’ll get opportunities.
Q: I know it doesn’t win you anything in the league, but what does it say about the resilience of this team that you guys have a chance to go 8-0 on the road? You were part of a team that went 8-0 during the regular season.
MV: I think that it would mean a lot. It’s a division game on the road. A chance to go 8-0, undefeated on the road. We know how difficult that is. That’s something that, again, we are focused on. It won’t be easy, but it’s all the things that we’ve done previously that have helped us win, how you have to play, how you have to take care of the ball, how you have to handle the road environment, and all those things that it takes to be able to win and get some turnovers. So, hopefully, we can continue to do that. Again, nothing is guaranteed. You have to go over there, you have to prove it and you have to play.
Q: TreVeyon, is he in the last step of the concussion protocol where he needs to be cleared by an independent neurologist?
MV: I can’t really elaborate on where he’s at. I just want to say that he’s in the protocol until he’s not. I think that’s probably the easiest way for me, just out of respect of the process of it. That’s really where it’s at.
Q: Your practice squad with John Jiles and Jeremiah Webb, how have they done this season?
MV: Good. Again, I’ve enjoyed working with those guys. John, since we got started. Webby [Jeremiah Webb], since after the draft. I think both improved. Both have been, I would say, multiple show team players of the week in their respective receiver or on special teams. And so, that’s great to see.
Q: Even though he’s not ready to come back, just what have you seen from Milton this week at practice?
MV: Again, just trying to get back into it. I think he’s working hard. I would say that it’d be tough to see a lot just from the way that the practices were structured, but he’s working hard to get back, and again, it’s good to see him out there with the team. That’s just the first step of it.
Q: You spoke a little bit about [Mack Hollins] earlier this week. I know he’s out on Sunday, but now that you’ve had almost a full year with him, what stays with you or what best captures what you’ve called his spirit?
MV: Again, I appreciate it. Everybody’s different. Mack certainly beats to a different drummer and I love that because with walking in here with bare feet or whatever he’s got, he cares about the team. He puts the team first. That’s what I respect the most about him. I’ve never felt any differently. He has an energy to him. I can remember days in training camp where offense was looking for a play late in practice, Mack came up with one, and it was hot and the guys were tired. Just thinking back to those days and his energy, and seeing him on Sunday night with the passion and energy that he had to help us win. We’ll obviously miss him this week, but the show goes on. But I’ve always appreciated his willingness to learn what we’re doing, but also be a leader for some of these younger guys.
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