First Take and the New England Patriots are one of the most heated rivalries in the NFL right now. Cam Newton was critical of quarterback Drake Maye last week and the press asked the Patriots QB for his response. Maye tried to brush off the question, but he did it in a way that rubbed Stephen A. Smith the wrong way and Smith called Maye a "liar" on national television.
Smith's contention was that since First Take is the No. 1 sports debate show on ESPN, there's no way that anyone isn't fully aware of everyone involved.
On Monday morning, following New England's ninth straight win, coach Mike Vrabel appeared on WEEI and was asked if they could maybe put First Take on in the weight room so the players could stay up to date. Vrabel wasn't even sure that was possible, but snuck in a bit of a shot at First Take before moving on.
Mike Vrabel on Stephen A Smith claiming @FirstTake is the number 1 morning show:
— Savage (@SavageSports_) November 24, 2025
Per: @TheGregHillShow
“I find that hard to believe…it’s not the sport center that I grew up with.”
😭 pic.twitter.com/GzFkD02Ueo
"We don't have... I don't even know if the TVs work in the weight room," said Vrabel. "You know, we're getting a new building so we'll make sure the audio and everything works and that's good."
When one of the hosts mentioned that First Take is the number one show, Vrabel pushed back saying, "Is it? I find that hard to believe. I find that hard to believe. It's not the SportsCenter I grew up with."
Smith will be thrilled that Vrabel is allowing the conversation to continue, though he will probably feign outrage or pretend to be insulted.
Meanwhile, Maye was much less helpful in continuing the debate this weekend. When Stefon Diggs came up to him before the win over the Bengals and attempted to get him to do Cam Newton's Superman celebration, Maye simply shook his head to say no.
Drake Maye discreetly saying no to the Superman celebration 😂😭😭
— DomThePatsFan (@domthepatsfan) November 23, 2025
Stefon Diggs wanted to throw that shade and I love it pic.twitter.com/We170F9Og3
It will be hard, but First Take will probably find a way to get some content out of this.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mike Vrabel on ‘First Take': 'It’s Not the SportsCenter That I Grew Up With'.
