HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL

PRESS CONFERENCE
February 4, 2026

Q: I'm curious, what have you seen from Drake [Maye] this week in terms of preparation and just his ability to maybe stay even-keeled given the higher media attention and the bigger stage?

MV: I think we try to make it as normal as we possibly can, knowing that it's not going to be. And we try to stay on the same routine and try to keep the meeting times the same, the treatment times. I think that these guys were able to work on Monday, have yesterday off. There was a lot of activity around the hotel, the meeting rooms, and guys are getting together and watching tape. I think that's what everybody has to do to make sure that they're ready. I think the next 48 hours will be critical for us, as we kind of get back into our normal routine here of a Wednesday and Thursday, and then the families come in and things just start to ramp up.

Q: We see teams every year spend big in free agency and a lot of times it doesn't work. You guys have a lot of success with what you did in free agency this year. Was there something about your approach that you think going into it as an organization that led to that success?

MV: I think you just have to be very intentional with the people that you're bringing in. I think sometimes free agency, you have to be able to use it. People use it in different ways. It's a part of our business. It's another way to acquire players and player acquisition. Understand that you have to be convicted on the person that you're bringing in as a player, and also the impact that they're going to make in the locker room, around the building and in the community. So, I appreciate what everybody did and their efforts, and Eliot [Wolf], Ryan [Cowden] and Stretch [John Streicher], I appreciate what they do to help us steer us in the right direction as it relates to the players that we're going to try to acquire.

Q: You guys ended up drafting three rookies this year that made significant contributions on special teams. Can you speak to the contributions of those guys throughout the season?

MV: Well, we did have some significant changes in that department, and when it relates to Andy [Borregales] and Julian [Ashby] being able to come into this league and handle that – again, it's never going to be perfect. Kickers – every kick isn't going to be made, but when we've needed Andy, he's really settled in, Julian's been consistent. And Bryce [Baringer] has been – our punter has been pretty much the veteran of the group that's kind of handled those guys. So, we've made big kicks when we've had to going to Miami, Buffalo and on and on through the playoffs. So, those will be critical, that if this game comes down to a field goal, I'm confident those guys will execute.

Q: You mentioned the word "critical" these next three days. You mentioned these last three days you were going to install things. What's the process like for you in getting these next three days and getting the most important things done?

MV: We felt we just needed to make sure they were engaged and that there wasn't stuff that was just repetitive, and they were sitting there looking at us, like, "We already covered this, we went through this." Want to make sure now that they're stimulated, they're engaged, locked in, moving forward here, first, second and third, and red zone situations. That's why the next 48 hours, I think, will be really important.

Q: I'm curious, why do you think the Seahawks are so effective defending the run with sometimes just four down linemen?

MV: Again, they play with great technique, they play with great effort. They're talented. Different skill sets. May look at [Byron] Murphy [II] and he has one skill set. You look at Leonard Williams, different skill set. Both play square. They play with their hands. The edge guys set sometimes vertical edges, sometimes they mix in some movement. They don't get moved off the line of scrimmage. If you don't move the line of scrimmage, it's going to be hard to run the football.

Q: There's perception and reality when it comes to the Super Bowl and the experience. With a lot of these young guys, when you reflect back on your first time, what is something that you wish you knew that first time around that you learned after all of those visits to the Super Bowl that you've passed on to this team?

MV: Again, every game is different, and don't anticipate how it's going to go. Whether it comes down to the end of the game situation, a kick or a two-minute drill, try not to predict what those are going to be. Make sure that each and every situation is covered, and understand that each of them is critical, whether that's a short-yardage early in the first quarter, or that's a red-zone stop late in the game to give our team a chance to win. So, just understanding, having watched all these Super Bowls in the last few years and the ones I've been a part of, try not hard to predict how it's going to go and you will have to see how the game is unfolding. But understand each situation that we're going to be asked to execute, we've been through since April.

Q: You didn't have any overtime games this year. Coming into this year, did you and your staff have any general viewpoint on offense versus defense first? And did that attitude, that philosophy, change at all when you saw the overtime games unfold in the regular season and in the playoffs?

MV: We have conversations, and we'll continue to talk about it. Whatever the philosophy ends up being, the players have been explained what that is or what that will be and how we'll try to attack it. A lot of this depends on their kickoff return, where the ball goes on touchbacks, how good the field goal kickers are. There's just a lot that goes into it. They'll understand that the overtime rules are just like starting a new game. It's not sudden death. Both teams will get an opportunity to possess the ball. We'll get to the end of the first quarter and if there's 30 seconds, it's not the end of the game; we're just going to flip it over and go to the second quarter. We've explained all that. And we'll just have to be ready if this game goes to overtime.

Q: We talked a lot about how you supported Rhamondre [Stevenson] through the passing of his father in the spring. What do you remember about your specific conversations with Tony Dews when he went out to Vegas, and what was the best course of action then?

MV: I think there's things that come up that you're not really prepared for, and to have Rhamondre have something that traumatic happen to him and his family, and him not know us as people, was hard. And to try to support somebody that – he doesn't know where we're coming from; he doesn't know Mike Vrabel, he doesn't know Tony Dews – other than taking some faith that we're looking out for him as a person, and we're looking out for him and his family, and what's best and how they handle it, and try to do everything that we could to get him in a place that he could come, do his job, perform and glorify his dad. He's done that every single day. I'm proud of him. I can't imagine how that felt and what that still feels like. We're lucky to have people like Tony Dews who care deeply about not only his position but everybody on this football team, coaches and staff. And Tony – he would have gone the second that I told him. It was just like, give him a little bit of time. Let's just wait. And finally, it worked out for Tony to go out there and be with Rhamondre and his family. Obviously, very appreciative of Tony.

Q: You talked about Terrell [Williams] yesterday and him being here. I'm curious if you could maybe describe what impact he was able to have on the team even through battling his cancer, and how Zak [Kuhr]'s maybe stepped up as a unique situation as the play caller?

MV: We've always talked about the impact the team makes on not only the defense but throughout the football team, his ability to connect and reach with every single player at every single position, young players, veteran players. That's a skill. That's something that I can't necessarily teach or instruct them on. Kind of just that's something that comes very naturally to Terrell. So, I would say his humility through all this has been something that I've really appreciated. Never wanted to be a distraction – even if I told him a million times that he wasn't. And even if the players told him that he wasn't, his humility was always about the team. He just kept saying, "I don't want to mess anything up, I don't want people worrying about me." So I've always appreciated that, and I'm glad that he's here with us. Zak has been fantastic. I think that, much like players when given opportunities, coaches sometimes have the same thing. When they get more opportunity, they take advantage of it, and then turn that into something else.

Q: Will [Campbell] shared a story with us yesterday about one of the early times that you guys met in Baton Rouge. He said he took you to barbecue for a four hour meal. What do you remember about that meal, and what kind of growth have you seen from him in this rookie season?

MV: Well, I think Will is a great teammate. I think, again, each and every day he's grown, he's improved as a person, as a player, as a teammate. He's comfortable in his own skin. He's around a lot. The meal was excellent. A lot of those local establishments take care of the boys down there in Baton Rouge. It was a big spread, a great meal, and I hope to go back there and hang out. We had a good time. I've said this before, Will wanted to make it known that he wanted to be here by that visit. Not when he visited our place, but when we visited there. It was clear that this was the place that he wanted to be.

Q: The Seahawks, a lot of their big plays have come from play-action. Conversely you guys have been one of the best defenses against play-action. What's made Seattle so effective when they use run fakes? And what's made you so effective on those plays?

MV: You have to be able to transition if you don't pressure and you don't time up the pressure with the play-action. Again, they're trying to get people blocking at the line of scrimmage. They're trying to marry their run actions with this system, which as far back as I can remember in this system, and Clint [McMillan]'s done a great job of marrying their run actions each week, it's difficult to prepare for. So, you get linebackers that are now coming up to the line of scrimmage, opening up passing lanes at the second and third level, and usually finding ways to protect the quarterback with seven guys in there. So, big thing for us has always just been about transitioning and making sure that we're able to get back, we're able to panic when we're not pressuring and that we're able to get into those throwing lanes.

Q: You said that the next 48 hours are so important, so critical. What do you remember about when you were a player, these 48 hours that you can convey to your football team, the advice that you got or the approach that you got when you were a player in these 48 hours?

MV: I mean, it seems like forever ago, so I don't know if there was anything specifically that I would take. It's a whirlwind. On the first Super Bowl we didn't have the week off. I just felt like being in this game with a week off, trying to be very intentional with the schedule, what we were doing, when we were working and not just going eight days straight. Felt like that was important. So, trying to be intentional with the schedule, but also just trying to keep them engaged, keep them locked in and get them to believe that something that we do at practice today is going to come up in the game, and how we handle that or how we execute that could make the difference. So, that's how we've tried to approach all our practices, is that something that you're going to do today is going to help us win. I don't know which play it is. I'm not sure which correction that it will be, but there's going to be a play today that somebody's going to make or not make that's going to make the difference in the game on Sunday.

Q: You have a roster which turned over half the players a year ago, and of course you have holdovers and draft picks and free agents. A lot of times that takes multiple seasons to come together. To what do you attribute the ability of your team to come together so quickly in one season to be here?

MV: I think getting the right people in the building. We were intentional about trying to make sure when the players returned, there was a program in place that they could look at, that they could believe in, that they wanted to be a part of and that they wanted to protect. That's what we set out to do much before the players were even into the building. Felt like we were intentional with what we did in the offseason about building a team, bringing guys together from every background and every different experience. I didn't think that it was important to go out on the field in minicamp. I felt it was more important to spend that time getting to know each other, and trying to build that before we went out and tried to run plays.

Q: With Drake Maye, was there a moment this offseason or season that you realized he was special and had special abilities?

MV: I think I probably realized that before I got here. That's a large part of the reason that I wanted to be here. There were plays in training camp and things that he did, whether his – I think the thing was the accuracy outside of the pocket or on the move, I touched on it, the way he plays the position, he has an athletic nature to the way that he plays the position. So, I think that's somewhat unique. I think that everybody has a different skill set, and he's comfortable in the pocket. I think his ability to transfer up into the pocket to make moves, to make throws off platform and different angles, has been impressive.

Q: You've led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance since 2019 in your first year as head coach and you're on track to become the first person to win a Super Bowl with the same organization as a player and a coach. What would a win on Sunday mean to you personally and to the organization and to the entire team?

MV: Well, the organization has set a standard. The Patriots organization, Robert [Kraft] and Jonathan [Kraft], have set a standard for this organization that this is what the expectation is. We understand that, we embrace that. For me personally, again, I've been through this. I want the players to experience this with their families. I want them to experience this with their kids. I want Morgan Moses to experience this with his three boys. He's been such a great presence on our football team. Not talking about his play on the field, which has been superb, but just his presence and demeanor. He's a wonderful father. The way that he cares for his boys and does his job is something that I appreciate. So, I want them to experience that and that feeling. I'll be excited watching them enjoy it.

Q: You mentioned Zak Kuhr for a second. What made him the right choice when adversity hit to be the guy to step up? You've got a lot of great positions on your staff. What made Zak the right guy, because I don't think he had defensive play calling experience other than in college a long time ago?

MV: Zak's just grown from the time that I was with him at Ohio State to the time that Stretch spent with him offensively, to us bringing him in in Tennessee, and watching him grow defensively and understand the concepts that what we're doing defensively, why we were doing them, suggestions that he made to try to enhance some of those things, continue to grow. I think he really can adjust quickly, and he has an ability to not get hung up. We sub and we make different calls, and I'm always trying to watch and make sure that we're coordinated in what we're doing. He's done that. He did a great job in the offseason. He's a good teacher, good communicator. He's really helped us.

Q: When you're playing in the snow like you were last week, do you attack certain patches of grass with the play calling, look where maybe things are a little bit more trodden on and trying to get some footing there?

MV: We're good, we're just not that good. I mean, hopefully the kickers have the ability to put the ball where they want it, but I don't think we can be that specific. It's a little too difficult to be able to do that.

QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

PRESS CONFERENCE
February 4, 2026

Not transcribed.

WIDE RECEIVER STEFON DIGGS

PRESS CONFERENCE
February 4, 2026

Q. Just a thought on when you got here, what did you know about Drake [Maye], and how has your relationship grown to where you're at here at the Super Bowl?

SD: I really didn't know too much about him other than we played him earlier in the year when I was in Houston. It was crazy. He had got like a mini standing ovation when he went out. It was one of his first games going in. He showed a lot of promise. He made some throws. He was running around. I clearly remember a ball he threw Kayshon Boutte in the back corner to the right, a touchdown. I was like, "He can spin it a little bit." It was early, of course. He didn't play the whole game, but I think he finished it off. I didn't really think too much about it then because I was in Houston just rocking and rolling. And up to now it's been a long journey. Definitely been a long journey. His maturation process is second to none. One of the best I've ever seen from a quarterback position. He's still super young, which is crazy. He's had a lot of success, but as I have grown closer to him, I'm a huge fan of him. He's like a mini inspiration. To be that young, be that mature and be able to play at a high level is something that I always wanted when I was a young player. I'm just happy to be a part of this thing. He's a good teammate as well. We joke and laugh a lot in that building, in that room. The more time we spend, I see that relationship growing. He's cool with all his teammates. He's like that quarterback – I don't know how to describe it. If you play football you'd know, but he has that quarterback mindset, that quarterback energy. Yeah, he's cool.

Q. Throughout the season, you guys have done the "Zombieland" touchdown celebration. A lot of your teammates have credited you for being the guy that really brought a different aura to the celebration and got it to really catch on. Where did you get the inspiration for it? Are you surprised it's gotten as viral as it has?

SD: I'll be on the Internet a little bit. It's crazy you said it. I don't even know the name of it. I've been on the Internet a little bit. I thought it was fitting. I think it started at Buffalo, kind of carried on. I don't give it too much thought. I'm out there to have fun, and bring a lot of energy and swag. I take a little bit of credit. I'm a small piece of the puzzle. But when other guys make plays and carry it on – even the defense – it was crazy, when it first happened the defense was like, "We need a celebration bad. Y'all got a celebration?" It brings the team together a little bit when you have a team celebration and stuff like that. I credit that to my past years being at other places and seeing what kind of brings guys together. And you've got to make plays first before you can celebrate. So, I think it goes hand in hand. I don't take too much credit.

Q. I don't know if you saw this story, Lindsey Vonn, the American skier at the Olympics, she blew out her ACL last week and is going to ski with it. I just wanted your opinion of that. Could you imagine skiing given what you've been through and what the recovery is like?

SD: I could imagine. Prayers to her, number one. I hope her surgery, when she does get it, goes successful. It's crazy that anybody who has torn their ACL, they know like a week or a couple days maybe sometimes, people can run. People can do whatever they need to do once they get the swelling out. So, it's kind of a weird injury. As long as you're not cutting and deceling, I think she should be fine. If she's at the Olympics, she's obviously an amazing athlete. Shout out to her, her mental toughness and whatever she's going through. Hopefully she can go out there, give it her best. As long as she doesn't have to stop and decel, I think she'll be all right. Fingers crossed, prayers to her and hope it goes well.

Q. You mentioned a couple days back, you almost signed with Denver in free agency. I'm curious, what did you like about their system? And what ultimately kind of just in your evaluation process made it New England that maybe you liked a little bit more?

SD: Mainly, when I was signing, you kind of – it's kind of a figure-it-out kind of process, and I kind of leaned towards my experience. I played against Sean Payton a lot. I've seen what his offense can do. So, that was the one thing. And then a couple people on the staff that I knew. Davis Webb, I was familiar with. He helped me out a lot in Buffalo as far as learning the plays. Buffalo was a different place. Their offensive scheme with [Brian] Daboll, he ran a lot of stuff. Davis Webb, knew a lot of that. He taught me a lot about the offense. He's a good friend of mine. I think he's going to be a hell of a coach one day. That's kind of how it ended up happening. And in weighing my options on what's going to be the best, I also like Coach Vrabes [Mike Vrabel]. I had a little bit of interaction with him at Pro Bowl and stuff like that. And they had a young quarterback. They both had young quarterbacks. When you weigh all the pros and cons, I felt the Patriots were probably going to be the best fit. And it wasn't too far from home.

Q. Are you a man of faith? If you are a man of faith, how does that help you through the ups and downs of the season?

SD: One hundred percent a man of faith. I get happy when I get to talk about it a little bit because my relationship with the higher power, whatever you believe in, my God is a good god, and I feel like I learn through experience the things that he's taught me, and my shortcomings, overcoming and the obstacles I went through, even this past offseason. I kind of talked about it a little bit as far as leaving Buffalo was a different experience for me and I wanted to go to Houston. I ended up going to Houston. I wanted to chase a ring. I was around great players, a good team. And then I end up tearing my ACL, boom. And then fast-forward, I end up at the Patriots. Not a lot of people believed in the Patriots or thought they would do anything. They said they were going to win like six, seven games. That's what I was reading up to that point. But didn't pay it no mind. Fast-forward now, I'm in the Super Bowl. There's a lot of things that happened in that timeline, but leaning on my faith and leaning on the things that got me here. I feel like He was going to help me overcome anything that I go through or went through and look at how it all played out. Who would have thought? I wouldn't have. But I'm going to continue to lean on Him through everything I go through. Here I am at the Super Bowl, trying to win a game.

Q. Eleven years in the league, by default kind of the elder statesman of the receiver room, but obviously you're still a young guy, full of energy. What's it been like kind of serving in that role for this group, and interacting and getting to know this group. What's bonded you all together despite your years in the league?

SD: I'm the oldest in the room. They make fun me of all the time. I'm like, look, Mike Wallace told me a long time ago when I was young, I used to make fun of him for being old. I think I met him in year seven or eight. I was like, "Damn you're old." And he'd say, "You're going to be old one day too." I will never forget that statement. At this point, Pop [DeMario Douglas], Kyle Williams and even Kayshon, they make fun of me all the time. And I'm like, "Look, you'll all be old one day, too, and we'll revisit and have this conversation again." I just look forward to coming to work every day, bringing that positive energy, bringing that good mindset, that work mindset. And being around guys like Mack Hollins and stuff like that, they make it easy. Everybody wants to work and play at a high level. So, for me, I just bring a little bit of a different, one small puzzle piece to the leadership. Mack Hollins does his thing. I do my thing. Those young players are shining. Those young players are future stars in my eyes. I feel like they're going to play well and do a lot of great things in this league. Just got to continue to lead from the front and the back.

Q. Considering this is your first Super Bowl, how are you preparing mentally?

SD: The same way I prepare each and every week. I had a conversation with somebody who said, "Are you excited?" I said, "I'm not excited at all." I feel like excitement is a little bit of a different emotion. Excitement is what I get when I maybe buy a car, buy something new or buy a watch or something. Right now, I just want to work. I look forward to this week. We've got three to four days. Three days of practice, four days for preparation. I just feel like, take it one day at a time. I'm not going to make it more than it is or less than what it is. But I have the same mindset I've been having. I don't want to switch up the macaroni and cheese, get to doing stuff I don't typically do. I can't wait to get back to practice today and get after it. I'm not doing nothing different.

Q. You mentioned Mack Hollins doing his thing. How would you describe "his thing?" Have you tried any Mack Hacks? And you've had a thousand teammates. How unique is he exactly?

SD: He's probably number one on the unique list. But he's actually taught me a lot, like alternative medicines, things that he does, things that he eats, how he moves on the daily. He's definitely one of my different teammates, a guy that does things differently. I don't look at everybody the same. No one person is the same. Their personalities are different. I accept them all, especially considering he's my teammate. I love him. He's like a brother to me. He works extremely hard. Team first. And he does a lot of the dirty work that people don't see, as far as the blocking and stuff like that. He can make plays at a high level. I've got a lot of respect for Mack. And he's taught me a lot at this point. I've not used any Mack Hacks. Certain things with the cars and stuff like that, I leave that to somebody else. But I pride myself in being a good teammate and being a good friend. He does a great job. I'm a huge Mack fan. Shoutout to Mack Hollins.

Q. Cardi [B] is very involved in music stuff. I may think you too. What do you think about the halftime show for Bad Bunny? And what kind of player are you in the locker room? How do you share this wisdom of a lot of years during the NFL? And how do you connect with the younger players?

SD: Number one question, how do I feel about the halftime show? I'm super excited – Benito [Bad Bunny], I think, super excited. I think it's an experience we all should share coming together at halftime. I wish I could be out there having a good time, but I'll have some other things I have to focus on and stay ready for. But I'll probably catch it after the game. And the next question, I only give knowledge to those who want to learn. I feel like the guys in my room and anybody I have a conversation with, when you start getting to know people on a personal level, and it's more about life experience and not just football, you can learn a lot about a man by the things he's been through and things he's willing to share. I meet everybody where they are and try to give them little bits and pieces of not only just football, but my life, and let them know that I'm there for them as well if anybody is going through anything. So, for me, I just do what I can. I really don't make it what it is. At this age, a lot of people want to do things how they want to do them. I don't force anything on anybody. I just meet people where they are.

Q. Yesterday, Pop told us that he probably gets about 75 percent of Mike Vrabel's humor. Twenty five gets a little lost in the gray area. Are you in the same corner there? Do you feel like Mike is a funny guy and you relate to that? Or is it a little dry?

SD: I get 100 percent of the humor. I mean, you guys talk to him on a consistent basis. He's a good coach. He has that perfect balance between workmanship and we can mess around a little bit, but more so, once you get the work done, once you've done everything you're supposed to, he's a regular guy. He's like – I don't want to call him one of the boys. He has that perfect dynamic or that balance between coach and used-to-be player, friend mindset or father mindset, because he meets you where you're at the same way I like to approach things. He has little jokes. Calls people "little buddy." He walks around, we all got handshakes. That's when I say he's like one of – like part of the team. He's the coach, but still has that player in him too as well. So, I think it makes for a great relationship.

Q. Curious, this team has a good mix of younger players and veterans, but there hasn't been as much Super Bowl experience. Is there anyone this week that the team has specifically been relying on or that's kind of stepped up as a leader to help navigate this week?

SD: No, I think it's been the same, consistent, just because they're not trying to switch the macaroni and cheese. And the guys that have that experience, I don't think they've approached it any other way than they approach each and every other week, which is great thing because there's consistency there. You can rely on guys, guys who have been in the Super Bowl who have experience like Milton Williams, superstar Carlton Davis [III], guys who made those plays. I think they've approached this week the same way they approached any week. There's a lot of extra stuff and fluff, this type of stuff, media stuff, but the football stuff has been consistent and something that we all want to be a part of. I look forward to this game.

Q. For you, 11 years in the league, your first Super Bowl. One of the best receivers in the league over that period of time. What does that mean to you?

SD: It means everything to me. I kind of talked about notoriety and legacy the other day. I just feel like these are one of those things that kind of help your journey, I guess. It's been a long journey. It's been a long time just even to get here. A lot of games played, a lot of practices. That's why I can't get swayed or can't get distracted, I've got to keep the main thing the main thing. Get back to work. Don't think too much of it. Don't think less of it than what it is either. Appreciate it for everything that I've been through, every practice, every day. Life. I just take it for what it is. I'm just thankful to be where I am right now. I want to appreciate it, and the best way I can do that is nurture the blessing that God's given me, get back to work, get on the grind and trying to find a way to earn a win.