Patriots’ Mike Vrabel Shares Bold Holiday Take Before Thanksgiving

Mike Vrabel apparently isn’t a big Thanksgiving guy.

As he prepares the New England Patriots for a Week 13 game against the New York Giants, Vrabel wasn’t counting down the hours until he could dig into some turkey. The head coach revealed Wednesday, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, that Thanksgiving isn’t among his favorite holidays.

“I’d say outside the top three,” Vrabel said. “Probably.”

Christmas and Independence Day are Vrabel’s top choices, and there isn’t a close No. 3.

“Then it’s a toss-up,” he said. “There’s a big dropoff.”

Many Patriots fans are thankful for Vrabel returning to revive the franchise. They’re an AFC-best 10-2 amid a nine-game winning streak, exceeding their eight combined wins from the previous two seasons.

Vrabel, meanwhile, told reporters what he’s thankful for this holiday season.

“My family. Having them here this week is going to be nice,” Vrabel said. “Then the opportunity to coach this team – these players, these coaches, the staff; that’s what I’m thankful for. I have some good friends that have helped along the years.”

Football fans may disagree with Vrabel’s opinion after seeing the Thanksgiving Day schedule. A stacked tripleheader features a pivotal NFC North matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, a star-studded battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys, and Joe Burrow returning to face the Baltimore Ravens four days after the Cincinnati Bengals lost to New England.

Vrabel can enjoy his favorite holiday next month, as the Patriots don’t play on Christmas. By then, the Coach of the Year candidate could gift fans an AFC East title.