Head Coach of the New England Patriots Mike Vrabel addressed the charges of strangulation and assault against his wide receiver Stefon Diggs —But not everyone was delighted with his answer.
“I’d say it won’t disappoint at all. Those are allegations,” Vrabel, 50, he told reporters on Wednesday, December 31.
In addition to the claims made against Diggs, 32, which came to light on Tuesday, Dec. 30, it was revealed Wednesday that Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore has been charged with one count of assault and battery on a relative/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 in connection with an alleged financial dispute.
“These are things we have to deal with, and every day there are distractions, some smaller than others,” Vrabel said. “I’m sure we’ll focus on the (Miami) Dolphins and those two people you mentioned will be able to handle the ongoing legal process.”
The Patriots host the Dolphins in their regular season finale on Sunday, Jan. 4, a game that will help determine their seeding when the NFL playoffs begin later this month.
“We have issued a statement. We have taken the allegations very seriously,” Vrabel added. “Whatever comes of it, I think we’ll have another discussion then. But I don’t think we should jump to any conclusions right now and let the process take its toll.”
After the news the charges against Diggsthe Patriots released a statement to Us Weekly in support of their superstar wide receiver.
“The New England Patriots are aware of the allegations that have been made regarding Stefon Diggs,” the team said Tuesday. “Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We stand by Stefon. We will continue to gather information and cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL when 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 released a statement Wednesday regarding the allegations against Barmore.
“The New England Patriots are aware of reports of a pending complaint from February involving Christian Barmore, stemming from an alleged domestic incident that occurred in August,” the statement read. “The Patriots were informed 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 done for the past several months, and cooperate fully with the league. We will have no further comment at this time.”
Diggs’ attorney, David Meierissued a statement to Us on Tuesday, saying his client “categorically denies” the allegations.
“They are unsubstantiated, unsubstantiated and never investigated, because they did not occur,” the lawyer said. “The timing and motivation for making the allegations are abundantly clear: they are the direct result of a financial dispute between employee and employer that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon hopes to establish the truth in a court of law.”
Meier, who also represents Barmore, also issued a statement regarding the charges against the Patriots’ star defensive end.
“We are confident that the evidence will show that there was no criminal conduct,” 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 by the NFL’s personal conduct policy, but Diggs and Barmore are still eligible to play.
According to the policy, eligibility can change after formal charges in the form of an indictment by a grand jury, the filing of charges by a prosecutor, or an indictment in criminal court.