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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel answered questions about the recent criminal allegations against star players Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore in a press conference on Wednesday.
Diggs was accused of attacking a private chef during a dispute over money, while Barmore has been charged with domestic assault and battery after his girlfriend told police he had thrown her to the ground in August.
Vrabel said recent events are not “disappointing.”
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(Left) New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sept. 21, 2025. (Right) New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) leaves the field after an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Nov. 23, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images;Peter Joneleit/AP Photo, File)
“I would say it’s not disappointing at all. It’s accusations,” Vrabel said when asked how disappointing the “distractions” were before the playoffs. “These are things we have to handle, and every day there are distractions, some smaller than others. I’m sure we’ll focus on the Dolphins, and those two individuals you mentioned will be able to handle the ongoing legal process.”
Vrabel also said he doesn’t expect the events to be distracting.
“Afraid? No, not afraid,” he said.
Vrabel declined to clarify whether any team discipline would be assigned to the players and suggested that the team had been aware of the alleged incidents before they were revealed to the public.
“Again, there are legal matters going on. And these, again, are allegations. We’ve made a statement, we’ve taken the allegations very seriously, and I think we’ll have another discussion about what comes of that. But I don’t think we need to draw any kind of conclusions right now and let the process take its toll,” he said. “We always want to gather more information, but these are… we’ve been aware of these allegations. Yesterday and today is not the first time we’ve heard about them. We try to do everything in accordance with league policy and make sure we’re in compliance with the league.”
When asked when the team learned of Diggs’ allegations, Vrabel said, “When they were able to inform us from the court documents and some things like that.”
In a statement, the team acknowledged the situation and said the 32-year-old receiver denied the charges against him. “The New England Patriots are aware of the allegations that have been made regarding Stefon Diggs. Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We stand by Stefon. We will continue to gather information and will fully cooperate with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will not be commenting further at this time.”
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Vrabel was asked what the line in the statement meant about the team “supporting” Diggs, and he said, “That everyone we care about and have been close to for a while, we support them. And we do. We understand there are accusations, but we also want to support each and every player, each and every coach and each and every staff member.”
Diggs allegedly strangled his cook for money earlier this month. The woman told police that Diggs “punched her in the face,” she tried to push him away, and then he “tried to strangle her by using his elbow around her neck.”
Meanwhile, Barmore allegedly grabbed the victim’s phone while trying to leave his residence. The alleged victim then “tried to open the door and scream for help, but Christian grabbed her before she could and threw her to the ground.” Barmore then allegedly grabbed the victim by the shirt near his neck. Barmore also allegedly told the victim that he would make his cousin “f— [her] above.”
The NFL has said that both Diggs and Barmore are eligible to play Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
“There is no change in the status of Diggs or Barmore. Both are eligible to play at this time,” the league said in a statement. “Pursuant to the Personal Conduct Policy (attached), consideration for inclusion on the Exempt Commissioners List may be considered following formal charges in the form of an indictment by a grand jury, the filing of charges by a prosecutor, or an arraignment in criminal court.”
David Meier, one of Diggs’ attorneys of record, confirmed that the veteran NFL wide receiver categorically denies the claims brought against him, adding that the dispute was between an employer and an employee.
“Stefon Diggs categorically denies these allegations. They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated because they did not occur. The timing and motivation for making the allegations are very clear: They are the direct result of a financial dispute between employee and employer that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law.”
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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks to the media during a press conference at Gillette Stadium. (Eric Canha-Image Images)
Barmore’s attorney issued the following statement:
“We are confident that the evidence will demonstrate that no criminal conduct occurred. Based on the facts and the law, we hope that this personnel matter will be resolved in the near future and that both parties will move forward together.”
