Mike Vrabel’s Super Bowl Shot at History Comes With a Side of Humor
Mike Vrabel is no stranger to the Super Bowl stage - but this time, he’s walking in with a new title, a new team, and a chance to make NFL history. The former linebacker turned head coach has led the New England Patriots back to the big game, and if he can guide them to victory over the Seattle Seahawks, he’ll become the first person ever to win Super Bowls as both a player and a head coach for the same franchise.
That’s rare air, even in a league that thrives on legacy. Vrabel was a cornerstone of the Patriots’ early dynasty, helping New England to its first three titles in the early 2000s. Now, more than two decades later, he’s back in Foxborough - not in pads, but with a headset - trying to add a fourth ring to his collection, this time from the sideline.
But as serious as the stakes are, Vrabel hasn’t lost his sense of humor - or his memory. During Super Bowl media week, he was reminded of a bold (and very colorful) promise he once made back in 2019 while appearing on the Bussin With the Boys podcast, hosted by former NFL players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan. At the time, Vrabel was coaching the Tennessee Titans, and in a moment of locker room-style bravado, joked that he’d be willing to make a very personal sacrifice - let’s just say it involved parting ways with a specific body part - in exchange for a Super Bowl win.
“You guys will be married for 20 years one day,” Vrabel quipped back then. “You won’t need it.”
Fast forward to 2026, and with the Patriots now one win away from a championship, Compton and Lewan caught up with Vrabel on Radio Row to see if he still stood by that wild claim.
“I don’t need anesthesia,” Vrabel joked, before doubling down with another tongue-in-cheek remark that had the podcast hosts in stitches.
This isn’t the first time Vrabel’s been asked to revisit his infamous comment. Just last week, during an appearance on Boston’s WEEI Greg Hill Show, he was asked again whether he’d follow through if the Patriots pulled it off.
His response? Still playful, still Vrabel.
“Maybe I’ll cut it in half, but I ain’t cutting the whole thing off,” he said with a laugh. “That was just to get that young fledgling group, Taylor and Will - get them to fly into the podcast game and it took off. I say a lot of things I don’t mean.”
The jokes may be flying, but don’t let the humor fool you - Vrabel is locked in. This is a coach with a championship pedigree, a deep understanding of what it takes to win in February, and a team that has bought in. His Patriots squad has battled through a tough AFC field to get here, and while the Seahawks are still considered the favorites - hungry to avenge their crushing loss in Super Bowl XLIX - Vrabel’s crew isn’t just happy to be here.
This is a team built in Vrabel’s image: tough, disciplined, and unafraid of the moment. And their head coach, despite the media week theatrics, is chasing something very real - a chance to carve his name into NFL history in a way no one else ever has.
Win or lose, Vrabel’s legacy in New England is already secure. But if he can lead the Patriots to one more title, it’ll be more than just a full-circle moment. It’ll be a statement - that the same grit and leadership that made him a champion on the field can do the same from the sideline.
And no, he probably won’t have to give up anything below the belt to get there.