Patriots coach Mike Vrabel offers blunt reaction to players request for release: ‘That’s news to me’

The 2025 NFL season officially begins next Thursday when the Dallas Cowboys visit the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. 

As the start of the season looms, teams across the league had to trim their rosters to 53 men by late Tuesday afternoon. While wide receiver Kendrick Bourne was listed on the New England Patriots’ initial depth chart Tuesday, he was waived the next day.

ESPN reported that Bourne’s release came shortly after he asked the Patriots for a fresh start with another team.

Meanwhile, defensive back Marcus Epps asked to be released on cutdown day, according to the Boston Herald.

Mike Vrabel, who has clashed with the media at times during his first offseason as the Patriots’ head coach, was asked to share his thoughts on the unexpected releases. 

“I don’t know,” a somewhat guarded Vrabel responded. “Who are you referring to, I guess, specifically?”

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After the reporter clarified the question was referencing Bourne and Epps, Vrabel compared the proceedings to what often happens when a romance between two people reaches a crossroads.

“Yeah, that’s news to me,” Vrabel noted.

“I mean, we …,” Vrabel began, before shaking his head. “Yeah, I mean, I think that we just try to put the roster together. I guess when it doesn’t work out, you know, you break up with somebody, your girlfriend doesn’t want to be with you. And then you say, ‘Well, I don’t want to be with you, either.’ Like, I’m not gonna get into all that.”

Vrabel then made it clear he had no intention of engaging in a long exchange over the matter.

“I just said I’m not going to get into it. You know what I mean? Like, we’re not gonna go back and forth here,” he said. “We’re trying to build a roster. You’ve gotta move on from some guys. You make connections with guys. You coach ’em. They earn more opportunities, they get more opportunities, they take advantage of ’em and that’s kind of how these things go.”

Epps spent time with three NFL franchises over six seasons. He appeared in three games with the Las Vegas Raiders last year. Bourne spent the past four years with the Patriots. He finished the 2024 campaign with 28 receptions.

The Patriots host the Raiders Sept. 7 to kick off their regular-season slate.

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