FOXBOROUGH, Mass â Soon after news broke regarding Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore facing serious charges, head coach Mike Vrabel addressed reporters, and as expected, the first questions he was asked were regarding this situation. Â
On Wednesday, Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs was accused of strangulation by a female chef. As for Barmore, he is being charged with assault and battery from an incident in August. Diggs is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 23, while Barmoreâs is set to be arraignment on Feb. 3.
âThese arenât a surprise, that today and yesterday this came out,â Vrabel told reporters on Wednesday. âWeâve taken the allegations very seriously. What comes of that, then weâll have another discussion. But I donât think we have to jump to any sort of conclusions right now. Let the process take its toll.â
While he admitted that he hasn’t “heard anything that would keep either player from the game,” Vrabel did say that Barmore was away with an illness. But Diggs was in attendance, and the expectation is that both will be available against the Dolphins.
And with that, the head coach was also asked how disappointing it was to have off-field distractions.
âNot disappointing at all. These are allegations,â Vrabel stated. âItâs things that we have to handle. Every day thereâs distractions. Some are smaller than others. Confident that weâll focus on the Dolphins and those two individuals… will be able to handle the ongoing legal process.â
Mike Vrabel Addressed The Team About Allegations Against Stefon Diggs & Christian Barmore
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When speaking with reporters, Vrabel also detailed how he addressed these situations with the team.
âI talked to the team about making sure that we speak to ourselves,â Vrabel said. âIf Stef and Christian have something to say, I support that, but weâre also going to speak for ourselves and make sure they are focused on what they have to do and the improvements they have to make. The focus this week is improve through practice and try to finish what we started.â
âImprove through practice, finish what you started, and speak for yourself,” he added. “Thatâs what weâve talked about. That was my message and weâll continue to do that. Canât worry about playoff scenarios and a lot of what-ifs. Weâre going to focus on trying to make sure weâre as prepared for a team we havenât played (since September).â
Patriots Release Separate Statements On Christian Barmore & Stefon Diggs Allegations
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Stefon Diggs Statement: âThe New England Patriots are aware of the accusations that have been made regarding Stefon Diggs. Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stefon. We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully 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 have no further comment at this time.”
Christian Barmore Statement: “The New England Patriots are aware of reports regarding a pending February arraignment involving Christian Barmore, which stems from an alleged domestic incident that occurred in August. The Patriots were made aware at the time of the incident and informed the NFL in a timely manner. The matter remains part of an ongoing legal process. We will respect that process, continue to monitor the situation closely, as we have over the past few months, and cooperate fully with the league. We will have no further comment at this time.”
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