Vrabel was asked about his star running back's social media comments that some would find controversial in the wake of the NBA's Pride Month initiative.
Mike Vrabel seemed very well-prepared while staying true to his own style of speaking to the media this week. When asked about the trade rumors for A.J. Brown between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles, he did not rule it out at all.
Vrabel, however, was asked about some other pressing issues that happened off the field this week.
While speaking to reporters at the NFL owners' meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, Vrabl stressed the need for every player on his roster to recognize the "fine line" between making their personal beliefs public and how that "represents the team."
Vrabel was responding to a question regarding second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson's posts on social media recently.
Henderson has never shied away from being vocal about his faith and his Christian beliefs. He chimed in on the chatter online after Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey was cut from the team after he made several anti-LGBTQ comments during an Instagram live stream. Ivey called the NBA's Pride Month promotion a celebration of "unrighteousness."
Henderson posted a Bible verse on X, captioning a post about Ivey being cut. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness ' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," Henderson wrote.
Henderson posted multiple Bible verses on Monday. He would also repost something written by New York Jets cornerback Azareye'h Thomas.
Thomas wrote, “The world will try to make sin look normal, and righteousness look strange. Believer or not, every single person on earth will soon have an appointment before Jesus. So if living for Christ makes us look crazy or ‘weird,’ that’s okay because it isn’t strange to Christ.”
When speaking to the media on Tuesday, Vrabel was asked about Henderson's comments.
“I want to tell you, I love TreVeyon,” Vrabel said. “I love the person. He cares deeply about our team. He cares deeply about his faith. He cares deeply about his family, his wife, and the people in our building. And so, I want them to be able to express what they believe in their heart and in their mind, but also want to make sure that they’re educated, and we want to be inclusive.”
Vrabel, who has always been known as a players' coach, was asked as a follow-up if he would discuss his comments with his running back and if he would also discuss things with Henderson's teammates.
“I usually try to,” Vrabel said. “We just want to educate them. We’re never going to tell them how to feel, but [we] certainly want to make sure that they understand that their actions represent something more than just themselves. And so I do think there’s a fine line.”
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