New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the strangulation and assault charges against his wide receiver Stefon Diggs — but not everybody was thrilled with his response.
“I would say not disappointing at all. These are allegations,” Vrabel, 50, told reporters on Wednesday, December 31.
In addition to the claims made against Diggs, 32, which came to light on Tuesday, December 30, it was revealed on Wednesday that Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore has been charged with one count of assault and battery on a family/household member for allegedly throwing his girlfriend to the ground in front of their 2-year-old daughter.
Diggs is accused of strangling and assaulting his personal chef regarding an alleged financial dispute.
“It’s things that we have to handle, and every day there’s distractions, some are smaller than others,” Vrabel said. “I’m confident that we’ll focus on the [Miami] Dolphins, and those two individuals that you mentioned will be able to handle the ongoing legal process.”
The Patriots host the Dolphins in their regular season finale on Sunday, January 4, a game that will help determine their seeding when the NFL playoffs begin later this month.
“We’ve made a statement. We’ve taken the allegations very seriously,” Vrabel added. “What comes of that I think then we’ll have another discussion. But I don’t think we have to jump to any sort of conclusions right now and let the process take its toll.”
After news broke of the charges against Diggs, the Patriots issued a statement to Us Weekly in support of their superstar wide receiver.
“The New England Patriots are aware of the accusations that have been made regarding Stefon Diggs,” the team noted on Tuesday. “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.”
The Patriots also issued a statement on Wednesday surrounding the allegations made against Barmore.
“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 statement said. “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.”
Diggs’ attorney, David Meier, released a statement to Us on Tuesday, saying his client “categorically denies” the allegations.
“They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated — because they did not occur,” the attorney said. “The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law.”
Meier, who is also representing Barmore, also issued a statement about the charges against the Patriots defensive star.
“We are confident that the evidence will demonstrate that no criminal conduct took place,” Meier said. “Based on the facts and the law, we expect that this personal matter will be resolved in the near future and both parties will move forward together.”
Both incidents are under review of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy, but Diggs and Barmore are still currently eligible to play.
Under the policy, eligibility can change following formal charges in the form of an indictment by a grand jury, the filing of charges by a prosecutor or an arraignment in a criminal court.
