Always a linebacker at heart, Mike Vrabel has never been afraid of getting his hands dirty at practice. Or, in the case of the New England Patriots’ joint session with the Washington Commanders, his face bloodied.

Following an 11-on-11 drill on Wednesday that ended in a scuffle between running back TreVeyon Henderson and Commanders defender Von Miller, Vrabel jumped right in to prevent the fight from escalating. When he emerged from the pile and got back to his feet, blood was running down his right cheek.

The wound, which appeared to have been the result of some friendly fire by Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell, was not a major one; Vrabel continued practice without any limitations. Nonetheless, it was a tone-setting moment for his team.

“It shows a lot about our coach. He’ll do

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