"Are you just trying to bait me?": Mike Vrabel snaps at Patriots reporter over question about Stefon Diggs’ uncertainty

New England coach Mike Vrabel is preparing for his first season at the helm with the Patriots. One of the biggest additions for the Patriots this offseason was star wide receiver Stefon Diggs. However, he is still recovering from an ACL tear last season, and as a result, his status for Week 1 is uncertain.

On Wednesday, Diggs sat down for an interview and spoke with insider Dianna Russini about his status for Week 1 of the season. Diggs expressed uncertainty about whether he will be available.

On Thursday, Mike Vrabel did a press conference and one of the reporters asked about Stefon Diggs' status. The reporter told Vrabel that Diggs was uncertain about his status for Week 1. Vrabel did not let him finish his question before snapping at him.

"Did you really believe that, Phil? I mean, you are a smart guy. I don’t know where you went to school. It wasn’t Ohio State," Mike Vrabel said (Timestamp 5:40). "Like, do you really believe that? Do you really believe that, Phil? Or are you just trying to bait me into something? I don’t know the context in which he said it. You’d have to help me. I mean, he’s been out here almost every day.

"I’m excited on where he is at. We’ll see when Week 1 comes. He’s gonna practice today. Hopefully, he helps us in the red zone. But we can’t predict the future about Week 1. We just know he’s gonna be out there today. He works hard, he cares, which are two important things."

HC Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots play the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday in their second preseason game

Mike Vrabel did not give much clarification on the status of Stefon Diggs heading into the season. He said he would practice but also said he did not know if he would be ready for the season. As a result, it is safe to say that he will not participate in the team's preseason game this weekend.

The New England Patriots will play the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. It is the team's second preseason game of the year. Last week, the Patriots had a strong performance against the Washington Commanders, winning 48-18. They will look to continue that momentum into this week.

There is a lot of optimism around the Patriots taking a big step forward this season. With the addition of Stefon Diggs and Mike Vrabel, and the progression of QB Drake Maye, the Patriots are expected to be in the playoff mix.