No, you're not having déjà vu—the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl.
The Drake Maye-led squad made it official with their AFC championship win over the Broncos on Saturday afternoon, a snowy, messy contest that saw backup Jarrett Stidham under center for Denver after Bo Nix broke his ankle last week.
For New England, it's the team's first trip back to the Super Bowl since 2018, and its first under the leadership of head coach Mike Vrabel. Vrabel took over at the helm at the start of the 2025 season; prior to that, he spent six seasons coaching the Titans and one year consulting with the Browns.
Although Vrabel has three Super Bowls to his name as a player, he has yet to make it to the big game as a coach. So you can understand why he was so excited following his teams's win on Sunday.
Take a peek at that reaction, which saw him running onto the field and excitedly hugging any player he could find, below:
Vrabel taking the @Patriots to #SBLX in Year 1 as head coach 🗣️ @budlight pic.twitter.com/U6HB34UtzB
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026
The coach also shared a fun moment with the crowd as he ran to the locker room:
Mike Vrabel. Man of the people. With a hat throw. pic.twitter.com/fkmMpITayT
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 25, 2026
Incredible. Vrabel was a coveted coaching hire last cycle, and it's obvious why—his leadership and skill set have so far turned the post-Brady Pats around.
Will he be celebrating with a ring on Feb. 8? We'll see soon ...
The Patriots will go up against the winner of Sunday evening's Rams-Seahawks game in Super Bowl LX at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 8
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
- How the Seahawks Embraced the Darkness and Became Super Bowl Favorites
- Sam Darnold's Coach Had a Message for the Doubters After QB's NFC Triumph
- Full List of Rams’ 2026 Free Agents, Potential Contract Casualties, Retirement Candidates
- Old Sam Darnold Jets Memes Resurface as QB Takes Seahawks to the Super Bowl
- Cooper Kupp Shared Sweetest Moment With Matthew Stafford After Seahawks’ Win
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mike Vrabel Was Hugging Everyone After Patriots Made Super Bowl With Win vs. Broncos.
