Patriots Coach Addresses Barmore’s Bench during Game
In an honest moment, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel shed light on his decision to bench standout defensive tackle Christian Barmore during the first quarter of New England’s 32-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns. “I had no choice but to make a decision. It’s my job to protect the team,” he remarked in the post-game press conference, explaining Barmore’s absence from the field. He added, “When there are actions that we feel are out of proportion to what we want to do here, we have to make a decision and we move on.”
Vrabel chose not to elaborate further on the specifics.
Barmore, who didn’t speak to reporters in the locker room after the game, recorded one tackle and was credited with four quarterback pressures while participating in 30 snaps. He signed a four-year, $84 million contract extension with New England back in April 2024 and had played about 65% of the defensive snaps in the game against Cleveland.
Interestingly, there seemed to be no lingering tension between Vrabel and Barmore; they shared a hug in the tunnel after the win.
A clip released by the Patriots showed Vrabel congratulating players as they walked to the locker room following their victory. However, the reasons behind Barmore’s benching remain somewhat unclear.
According to sports journalist Greg Bedard, the incident that led to the benching appeared relatively innocuous. He noted, “From what I’ve heard, this violation was pretty innocuous, so we’ll see what happens next.”
During an appearance on “The Greg Hill Show” the following day, Vrabel was asked about their postgame embrace and reassured listeners that there was no issue going forward. “Like everything else I do, whether it’s life or whatever, we’ve moved on and worked on it,” he stated regarding Barmore’s discipline. “And there’s no problem with me or anyone else moving forward. That’s the way we have to operate.” He expressed eagerness to make adjustments for the next game against the Falcons.
Barmore has registered a total of 12 tackles in eight games this season. Notably, he dealt with blood clotting issues that sidelined him for a large part of the previous season.
