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Mike Vrabel as a player once told QB Philip Rivers in San Diego that “he isn’t Drew Brees, won’t be Drew Brees, and everyone knows it.” 👂 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/U9Ih2Hd1np
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) November 12, 2020
Mike Vrabel has quickly risen within the NFL coaching ranks, but the Tennessee Titans’ head coach was better known for his feats as a player. He rose to prominence with the New England Patriots from 2001 to 2008, making a ton of plays at linebacker and occasionally mixing it up on offense in red zone packages — he was thrown to 14 times in his Patriots career, scoring a touchdown on all 10 of the passes that he caught.
But Vrabel’s experience on defense was the subject of a question from ESPN’s Dianna Russini before his Titans kicked off with the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night. When asked if he had any memories of interacting with Colts quarterback Philip Rivers during his playing career, Vrabel had to smile.
“We were out in Qualcomm Stadium,” Vrabel said, smirking and recalling a game with Rivers and the then-San Diego Chargers. “And I told him (and) anybody within earshot that he would never be Drew Brees, that I knew it, he knew it, and everyone else knows it. We laughed about it and it looks like both of ’em ended up having really great careers.”
It’s quite a jab, and might have stung a little. It was no secret that the Chargers drafted Rivers after growing dissatisfied with Brees’ inconsistent performance at quarterback, which led to their decision to let him walk away in free agency after a career-threatening shoulder injury (for his part, Brees called the move the Chargers’ “Worst mistake ever.”).
But it’s worth asking: when did this happen? Vrabel played against the Chargers in San Diego with Rivers at quarterback just three times in his NFL career, losing in 2008 (with the Patriots), and again in 2010 (with the Kansas City Chiefs). It does feel like the sort of remark to make as sour grapes, but that wouldn’t quite be in character for Vrabel.
The only game he won against Rivers came in the 2006 playoffs when New England squeaked out a 24-21 victory with a last-minute Stephen Gostkowski field goal. The day before, Brees helped lead the New Orleans Saints to victory against the Philadelphia Eagles at the Superdome, going 20-of-32 as a passer for 243 yards and a touchdown. Rivers was held to 14-fo-32 passing for 230 yards and an interception, so maybe Vrabel’s comparison hit a little harder under that context (if that’s when it was made, of course).
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