Mike Vrabel’s offseason controversy may have dominated the conversation around New England, but Colin Cowherd isn’t letting it shape his football outlook.
The NFL analyst brushed aside the alleged affair involving Vrabel and reporter Dianna Russini, calling it a moral issue rather than something that changes how he sees the Patriots’ 2026 season. His bigger point was far simpler: he doesn’t expect New England to keep riding last year’s momentum.
Cowherd said the Patriots are not built to repeat a 14-win season in Vrabel’s second year, and he doesn’t see them reaching the Super Bowl again. In his view, New England will settle in as a wild-card team instead.
"I'm not sure the percentage of people that confuse ethics and morals, but they're totally different," Cowherd said. "Ethics is about a collection, a group.
Morals are individual and personal. So, Mike Vrabel and a reporter for the New York Times this offseason may have bothered you morally, but it was only an ethical lapse, allegedly, with the reporter.
There is an ethical standard for The New York Times and any newspaper about how information is collected. That's ethics; that's serious.
"Spygate would be an ethical lapse, right? Like, that's why the NFL has to step in and take draft picks away.
What Vrabel did, allegedly, I don't care about. I literally do not care, and what's going to happen is New England is not going to win 14 games, like last year.
And they're not gonna get to the Super Bowl, like last year."
Cowherd pointed to the schedule as part of the reason he expects a drop-off, noting that the Patriots face several difficult road games.
Even with that prediction, Cowherd did give Drake Maye and Vrabel some credit. He ranked the pair as the sixth-best quarterback-coach combination in the league and said Maye has taken real steps forward under Vrabel.
"Vrabel and Drake Maye got to a Super Bowl," Cowherd said. "Drake Maye led the NFL in completion percentage passer rating. Those are two important numbers, and he's only getting better.
"To me, he's the East Coast Justin Herbert. Big, smart moves, arm throws downfield, highly accurate. They were, by the way, the most improved team in the league in some time."
In Other News...
Vrabel Just Got Caught In The Patriots' Growing Camp Tension
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Vrabel also had to address another bit of tension when Christian Gonzalez was not on the field because of unresolved contract negotiations, leaving New England without one of its most important defensive pieces at a time when every rep matters. The Patriots will keep moving forward through the absence, but the combination of on-field friction and an unresolved contract situation is adding an early layer of uncertainty to a camp that was supposed to be about building momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Move On From Injured Lineman As Another Decision Looms
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Rupcich had previously spent time with the Tennessee Titans before joining the Patriots, and his departure leaves New England to keep sorting through its offensive line depth as the season moves forward. It also comes at a moment when the team has another decision looming, with more roster maneuvering likely still ahead as injuries continue to shape the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Face A Costly Christian Gonzalez Decision At The Worst Time
Christian Gonzalez has already become one of the most important young pieces in the Patriots secondary, which is why the contract situation around him is getting so much attention. Even with his value obvious on the field, he has not signed an extension, and the talks around his future appear to have stalled, leaving New England with a familiar kind of headache when a premium defender is due for a financial decision.
The conversation now has moved beyond just a standard negotiation and into what happens if the sides cannot find common ground. Around the league, teams are watching the market for elite corners, and Sauce Gardners recent trade has offered a model for what a blockbuster deal might look like if it ever came to that. For the Patriots, the question is less about whether Gonzalez matters and more about how much leverage they have left if the situation keeps drifting in the wrong direction. [Read more 🡒]