Kicking off
Robert Kraft and Mike Vrabel both held media sessions from the Arizona Biltmore during the NFL's annual meeting at the beginning of the week.
The Patriots owner, along with son Jonathan Kraft, the president of Kraft Sports Productions, kicked off the proceedings with an informal "off-the-record" session with the media over breakfast Monday morning.
Kraft then answered a few questions from reporters in front of cameras following the breakfast.
Vrabel, meanwhile, spoke for 30 minutes on Tuesday at the AFC Coaches breakfast, handling a variety of topics.
It was interesting to hear both of their takes on their expectations for the 2026 season, especially coming off a Super Bowl appearance.
Kraft's take was measured. Vrabel, not so much.
Kraft, factoring in a tougher schedule and the fact the Patriots 'overachieved' last season, set the bar for the new year at a playoff berth. He thought that would be the sign of a successful season.
Vrabel, to no surprise, wasn't settling for that.
"Championships will remain the goal. It will never change," Vrabel said. "I appreciate Robert's support. We want to win the division, we want to host playoff games, and we want to compete for championships. We got a taste of that. We saw what that looked like. We saw the environment that it created. To be able to play those playoff games at home, which was unbelievable and so much fun.
"We'll play whoever we have to play. We understand what this looks like. We're going to play the division winner schedule and that's how it goes."
Vrabel voiced a similar message last January during his introductory press conference. It's important for him to be consistent. Why would his goal for the team be less in Year 2?
Just another example of why he's a successful coach.
Here's some clips from the week:
