Reporters wanted a window into the mindset of New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs, but head coach Mike Vrabel slammed it shut unless the media members took it upon themselves to speak to him directly.
The question about Doubs’ persona came right after Vrabel had already gone to bat for the Patriots pass catcher, after he finished Week 1’s Super Bowl rematch against the Seattle Seahawks with zero catches on three targets during a 13-10 loss.
The Patriots coach had no time for personality quizzes or armchair psychology after Doubs’ debut left more questions than answers.
Meanwhile, Doubs’ fourth-quarter drop ruined a game-changing 33-yard gain and added to a three-INT night for Drake Maye.
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“You guys can get to know Romeo the best that you want,” Vrabel said when asked what Doubs is like. “I’m not going to have conversations about our players when they’re in the locker room.”
“You want to get to know Romeo, you can go in there and introduce yourself to him,” he continued. Vrabel seemed unbothered by Doubs’ drops and said that all players drop passes and miss tackles.
“You talk to him the same way you always talk to him. Figure out a way to make a play to help us win.”Vrabel pointed to Doubs’ strong pre-season training camp and reinforced his receiver’s desire to be productive on the field.
The curiosity around Doubs comes from his relatively quiet demeanor compared to the average NFL wideout. When asked about what went wrong during his debut, he gave Patriots reporters little to work with.
“I’ll leave that unanswered. Whatever happened, there’s a reason for it,” Doubs said after the loss. On his critical drop, he was more direct and admitted, “I just wasn’t locked in enough. That’s all. Video speaks for itself.”
Doubs served a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the Green Bay in 2024 after skipping practices before his exit, and then posted a cryptic message after the Packers’ playoff loss, signaling that he was leading the franchise.
The Patriots WR allegedly fielded interest from several teams before settling in New England, including the Kansas City Chiefs after the franchise missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
Doubs ultimately signed a four-year deal with the Patriots worth $68 million, with incentives that could bring it to over $80 million.
Doubs will get another chance to prove his value to the franchise when New England hosts the 1-0 Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on CBS.
