{"id":65842,"date":"2026-02-26T11:27:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T16:27:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=65842"},"modified":"2026-03-04T13:02:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T18:02:19","slug":"thursday-patriots-notebook-2-26-vrabel-on-relationship-with-a-j-brown-has-meant-a-lot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2026\/02\/26\/thursday-patriots-notebook-2-26-vrabel-on-relationship-with-a-j-brown-has-meant-a-lot\/","title":{"rendered":"Thursday Patriots Notebook 2\/26: Vrabel on Relationship with A.J. Brown “Has Meant a Lot”"},"content":{"rendered":"

What Will the Patriots Do With Stefon Diggs?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Coming off his ACL injury, Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs certainly turned out to be better than expected in 2025.<\/p>\n

The knee injury he suffered the previous season before joining the club didn’t appear to hamper him, with the veteran putting in the work the previous offseason, and he never seemed to show any ill effects from the injury.<\/p>\n

He ended up being a key part of the offense, with Diggs finishing the regular season with 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and 4 touchdowns.\u00a0 He broke the thousand-yard mark for the 7th time in his career, with Diggs certainly appearing to fit well in Josh McDaniels’ offense.<\/p>\n

Still, during the postseason, he was less impactful.\u00a0 He finished with 14 receptions for 110 yards through four games, but the more frustrating number was the fact that he averaged just 7.9 yards per reception, which was the lowest among players who had 5 or more receptions.\u00a0 That was well below his season average of 11.9, and he definitely looked like a different player down the stretch.<\/p>\n

When the team needed a big play in a key moment, especially in the Super Bowl, Diggs simply wasn’t the impact player they needed.\u00a0 Unfortunately, that played a role in their loss to Seattle and will likely impact their decision-making on his future this offseason.<\/p>\n

The other issue with Diggs is his off-the-field issues.\u00a0 He’s currently facing charges after pleading not guilty earlier this month to felony strangulation and other criminal charges involving his personal chef.\u00a0 The team has stood behind him, and head coach Mike Vrabel reiterated on Wednesday that they’ll continue to monitor the situation.<\/p>\n

“We want our players to make great decisions,” said Vrabel on Wednesday<\/strong><\/a>. “And again, we\u2019ve tried to support those players that have some things that have come up, whether those are accusations. We\u2019re going to let the legal process run its course, just like we said before.”<\/p>\n

“And then those players, whether that\u2019s Stefon or anybody else that has something, has done exactly what they\u2019re supposed to do, be where they\u2019re supposed to be, communicate with the court when they\u2019re supposed to communicate with them. We\u2019re going to let all that take care of itself, and then we\u2019ll have to see what the judgments are in those particular cases.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"Mike<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Diggs denies the allegations to the point where his attorney doesn’t expect his client to accept a plea deal.\u00a0 His next hearing is set for the beginning of April, which will come after the start of free agency.<\/p>\n

In addition to his current case, Diggs was involved in another lawsuit where he’s being sued for defamation related to another former employee who was assaulted after a theft involving a Ferrari owned by Diggs.\u00a0 After the theft, which apparently came while the victim was responsible for transporting the vehicle, he was allegedly beaten by two men said to be associated with Diggs<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 That added another legal issue for the Patriots receiver, with trouble seemingly following him more than the club would probably like.<\/p>\n

Other issues with Diggs popped up throughout the season, with his tumultuous relationship with rapper Cardi B also being another distraction.\u00a0 Diggs fathered not only her child but was also involved with another woman who gave birth to another, which added another sidebar that played out publicly.\u00a0 The two apparently also had a falling-out after the Super Bowl, adding even more drama to that story.<\/p>\n

All of that’s led to questions about his future, especially given the amount of money involved and the return he showed down the stretch.\u00a0 According to Patriots salary cap expert Miguel Benzan<\/strong><\/a>, Diggs is set to have $6 million of his $20.6 million salary change from being guaranteed for injury to being fully guaranteed on the 13th of March, which now sets a deadline for what they may decide to do with him.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Mike<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

While Vrabel didn’t tip his hand in terms of what Diggs’ future might hold, he did say that there will be conversations that will continue to happen when it comes to what the 2026 group might look like.\u00a0 Given his comments, it sounds like Diggs’ being part of the offense in New England isn’t a lock.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, not only his future, but what he was able to do for us and come in and provide leadership, work extremely hard in the time that he was rehabbing from the knee,” said Vrabel when asked about Diggs’ future<\/strong><\/a>. “I think just a really good presence each and every week.”<\/p>\n

“And so as we look to evaluate the football team, we\u2019re doing that constantly. We\u2019re doing that, Eliot [Wolf] and myself and Ryan [Cowden] and Stretch [John Streicher] and Eliot\u2019s staff, and just being a little bit behind of where we were, just how long the season went, where those conversations for each and every player are happening in the meetings in between that we have with the draft players here.”<\/p>\n

“So there\u2019s a lot of things that we\u2019ll do between now and the time that the football season starts. So that\u2019s going to be the same with, I would say, most every player on our roster.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"A.J.<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Will the Patriots Trade For A.J. Brown?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part of what might happen with Diggs could hinge on who the club might look to bring in this offseason.\u00a0 One notable moment from Wednesday came after Vrabel sat down for a more intimate interview with the local media<\/strong><\/a>, which Vrabel also did last year at the Combine<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The topic of troubled Eagles receiver A.J. Brown came up, with a reporter noting that his future in Philadelphia seemed to be in doubt and that he could be available via trade.<\/p>\n

When asked about his relationship with Brown, Vrabel was surprisingly candid, which would certainly lead you to believe that would potentially be an avenue they’ll explore this offseason.<\/p>\n

“I think that we\u2019ll look at everything that we can possibly look at to add to our roster,” said Vrabel.\u00a0 “Again, there\u2019s a lot of things that go into trades. There\u2019s a lot of back and forth and taking on compensation. I\u2019m sure there\u2019ll be a lot of opportunities for us to talk about trades, not only this week, but as we prepare and get closer to the draft. Those are things when time ramps up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\"A.J.<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Vrabel did make an interesting revelation on Wednesday, saying that the relationship he has with former Titans wideout A.J. Brown is still something he maintains.\u00a0 Vrabel had high praise for Brown, who he said has grown quite a bit, and that the two have stayed in touch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the relationship with players, and specifically, you asked about AJ, has meant a lot,” said Vrabel.\u00a0 “I\u2019ve watched him grow. I\u2019ve watched him mature. I\u2019m proud of him . I\u2019m proud the father that he is, I\u2019m proud of the husband, and that has nothing to do with where he plays or where he played. Those are the things that are important.”<\/p>\n

“We reach out and text each other during the things that happened good to each other, and sometimes things don\u2019t go so well for the people that you\u2019re close with, and you text those as well. It\u2019s a two-way street of support and reminders of what got us to where we are here today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown is four years younger than Diggs, who is 32.\u00a0 The 28-year-old Brown is coming off his own thousand-yard campaign, with Brown having hauled in 78 passes for 1,003 yards (12.9 avg) along with 7 touchdowns last season.\u00a0 However, Brown had a tough time during the postseason, hauling in just 3 of his 7 targets, including multiple drops during the Eagles’ playoff loss.<\/p>\n

Whether that can be dismissed due to his situation there or if it’s indicative of him as a player is difficult to say.\u00a0 But if nothing else, Brown certainly carries less baggage and seems to be someone Vrabel holds in high regard, which might open the door for New England to try and acquire him this offseason.<\/p>\n

Odds and Ends<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vrabel touched on the team’s potential approach in free agency, and he told reporters they’re still making evaluations.\u00a0 “I don\u2019t want to tell you what it is because we\u2019re still working through it,” said Vrabel. “But right now, it\u2019s about gaining information from our scouting department and having our coaches look at it and then figuring out a few players at each position that may help us.\u201d … Vrabel went on to say that when it comes to finding a top wideout, free agency is often a tough place to do that and he believes that the draft remains the better option.\u00a0 “They\u2019re not going to be there in free agency. But you have to try to draft them,” said Vrabel.\u00a0 “I think that\u2019s where a lot of them are. You develop them. Some of them develop. Guys, that transition in that position from year one to year two can be pretty special.” … Vrabel then went on to say that he’s excited to see how someone like Kyle Williams<\/strong> might look in year two, although when asked if he views Williams as a number one receiver, he dismissed that but he does believe Williams is a playmaker.\u00a0 “Well, I\u2019m not going to say that,” said Vrabel.\u00a0 “I just know that I\u2019m excited about seeing where he goes from year one to year two. It\u2019s a fantastic place. The ability to adjust down the field on a deep ball. He\u2019s got really good release skills. You saw what the crossing route was against Tampa Bay and his ability to create an X-play that was a maybe 10 or 12-yard pass. So I\u2019m not going to sit there and say, \u2018Oh, these guys, it\u2019s going to be the number one receiver, edge rusher.\u2019 We\u2019re just excited that he\u2019s with us and what he showed us. And his attitude was fantastic. And we\u2019ll have to help him get to reach his potential.\u201d … When it comes to getting a contract extension done with Christian Gonzalez<\/strong>, Vrabel said that they want to extend all their players, and also added their relationship grew as the season progressed.\u00a0 “Well, it’s a priority to extend and keep all our best players,” said Vrabel. “That’s the obligation that we have to the team. That’s what our coaches want. That’s what our personnel people want. That’s what Robert and Jonathan want, that’s what our fans want. So we have to draft them and figure out a way to develop the guys that we draft, and then ultimately, resign them. So what the timing of that looks I don’t know. I know that that’ll be all part of the equation moving forward. I really enjoyed just our relationship and how he and I had to put some time into it. Again, there’s a lot of trust that goes along with certain guys. I watched him continue to get better and improve as the season wore on. I asked him if he wanted to be a captain. Is that something that he strives to be? I want to help him try to get there, to use his ability and his instincts and his knowledge to help the guys next to him.” … Vrabel also touched on his decision to bring back B.J. Edmonds<\/strong> to the coaching staff.\u00a0 “Well, he did a fantastic job in the summer in the minority internship program,” said Vrabel.\u00a0 “I would say that I’ve always tried be really intentional with the people that we bring in for that internship.\u00a0 Go back to Tennessee, Clint McMillan<\/strong> did a minority internship. Really, really quickly did we realize, ‘Hey, man, this is a guy that we would like to have with us for the season.’ Stretch came and said, ‘Hey, these guys…’. I said, ‘Man, what is this? Vince Lombardi or somebody? Like, these guys, everybody’s begging to have Clint McMillan?’ And I said, ‘Okay, we’re going to Chicago, and we have a preseason game. If you can get to Tallahassee, pack your s**t up and get back here by the time we get back, you can stay for the season.’ And so we got back, and he was sitting in there waiting for us.” … When asked about the futures of\u00a0K’Lavon Chaisson<\/strong>,\u00a0Khryis Tonga<\/strong>, and\u00a0Vederian Lowe<\/strong>, Vrabel said he was grateful to all of them for their contributions last season, but he didn’t provide much insight into their futures.\u00a0 “Not yet,” said Vrabel. “I think that, again, I’m very thankful of their contributions. Each of those players that you mentioned had a very unique contribution to our football team and to our success. There is no way around it. With that comes an opportunity for them in their particular situation. Would love to have them all back, but we know that that’s not always the case in the National Football League. We’ll see where those conversations go.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Patriots’ Stefon Diggs faces uncertain future amid legal issues & contract deadline. Mike Vrabel discusses potential A.J. Brown trade & free agency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":65848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[2210,23269,24288,59,24340,664,44,1967,805,379,24078,1865,326,24341,24107],"class_list":["post-65842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-news","tag-a-j-brown","tag-christian-gonzalez","tag-coaching-staff","tag-kyle-williams","tag-legal-issues","tag-mike-vrabel","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-nfl-draft","tag-nfl-free-agency","tag-philadelphia-eagles","tag-salary-cap","tag-stefon-diggs","tag-tennessee-titans","tag-trades","tag-wide-receivers"],"yoast_head":"\nThursday Patriots Notebook 2\/26: Vrabel on Relationship with A.J. 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