During a recent joint practice between the New England Patriots and the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Mike Vrabel took the opportunity to joke about his colleague Kevin O’Connell, using a joke about Tom Brady in a line he had previously directed at Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
This comment references the early careers of both coaches in the NFL. Kingsbury was a rookie quarterback in 2003 and spent that season on the Patriots’ injured reserve list, while O’Connell joined the team in 2008 as a rookie quarterback, coinciding with Vrabel’s final year in New England.
Although team rivalries are common in the league, this type of friendly exchange between veteran coaches shows the respect and camaraderie that also exist in professional football, even with just a few days remaining until the start of the 2025 NFL season.
Vrabel’s comment about O’Connell
“The same thing I said about Kliff Kingsbury – he wasn’t as good as Tom Brady,” Vrabel humorously said about O’Connell as a Patriots quarterback. What the two players have in common is their brief careers as NFL players.
Vrabel’s statement highlights Tom Brady’s importance in Patriots history and in the league overall, while also adding a humorous touch to the interaction between the coaches. It reflects the camaraderie that exists between the two coaches.
The matchup between the Vikings and Patriots
Besides practicing together in good spirits, the Vikings and Patriots will face off in a preseason game ahead of the upcoming season. The two franchises will meet next Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.