
Mike Vrabel addresses Stefon Diggs video, wants players to ‘make great decisions’
FOXBORO — Before the Patriots took the field for their second open spring practice, head coach Mike Vrabel was asked for his reaction to a viral video involving star wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
The video, which surfaced on social media earlier in the week, appeared to show Diggs sharing a clear plastic bag containing an unknown substance with several bikini-clad women on a boat.
“It’s something that we’re aware of,” Vrabel said Wednesday. “Obviously, we want to make great decisions on and off the field. We’re hoping that with our time here on the field today, that when we don’t have a script and we’re on the call periods, that we’re making great decisions. The message will be the same for all our players, that we’re trying to make great decisions. Any conversations that I’ve had with Stefon will remain between him, I and the club.”
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Asked whether he expected Diggs, who is recovering from a torn ACL, to practice Wednesday, Vrabel replied: “Not if he’s not here.” Pressed about whether the wideout was present, Vrabel added: “You guys will find out in a minute. But no.”
Diggs also did not participate in the Patriots’ first organized team activities practice that was open to reporters last Tuesday, but he did take the field later last week, according to photos shared by the team. All OTAs are voluntary for players.
“Everything that we’re going to do is we’re going to coach the guys that show up at 8:00 a.m.,” Vrabel said. “The ones that say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a situation, we’ll be here at 8:05 a.m.,’ we’ll coach those, as well. This is a voluntary part of our offseason program. Every player that’s not here, which there aren’t many, have been in communication with me and their position coaches.”
Asked whether he’s spoken to Diggs since the video surfaced, Vrabel said he talks to his players “every single day, the ones that are here and the ones that aren’t.”
“The timelines and the prognosis (of Diggs’ recovery) and everything, we’re working hard to get him back and to be ready to go,” Vrabel said. “When he’s here, we’ll coach him and we’ll have him ready to go.”
Diggs was the top offseason addition to a retooled New England receiving corps. Before a knee injury cut short his lone season with the Houston Texans last October, he recorded six consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaigns for the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills, making the Pro Bowl in four of those. The 31-year-old caught 47 passes on 64 targets for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games with Houston in 2024.
“He’s going to bring that dawg,” third-year slot receiver DeMario Douglas said last week. “He’s probably the one who brings out that attitude in the (receiver) room. We’ve got a lot of quiet right now in the room, but I feel like he’s going to bring that dawg out.”