Former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson Jr. wants Mike Vrabel to have no say in New England’s personnel decisions for the time being, and his argument arrives as the 5-3 Patriots prepare to host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday without A.J. Brown and TreVeyon Henderson.

Both players were ruled out on Friday. Brown, acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in June for a 2028 first-round pick and the better of New England’s two 2027 fifth-round picks, has been limited to three of New England’s eight games by ankle and knee injuries, while Henderson disclosed on the same day that he had spent several days in the hospital.

Ted Johnson Jr. Brings TreVeyon Henderson, A.J. Brown Into His Mike Vrabel Critique

The discussion initially focused on Brown, with the host also bringing up Harold Landry, another player with a prior connection to Vrabel, who hasn’t contributed to the Patriots this season. Johnson then widened the criticism further by pointing to Henderson as someone he viewed as potentially fitting the same pattern.

“Can I add one more? … TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State guy,” Johnson said. “That’s another guy that maybe was a Vrabel guy.”

Vrabel also has deep ties to Ohio State, where he starred as a player before later returning as an assistant coach.

From there, Johnson turned to Vrabel directly, laying out what he wants the Patriots to do with their head coach and what it would take for Vrabel to earn that say-so back:

“You put him in timeout, Vrabes, you’re going to go in timeout, and you’re not going to have any say over any of the personnel decisions for a little bit until you prove that, you know, you’re not going to fall in love with guys that (have) played for you in the past that might be, you know, in their decline in their careers.”

Henderson, 24, a second-round pick out of Ohio State now in his second season with New England, is currently absent due to a medical issue.

In a statement on Friday, he said he had experienced “an unexpected and unusual medical emergency involving a series of unexplained neurological symptoms that required hospitalization for several days.”

In the same statement, Henderson wrote, “While the results of my comprehensive medical testing have come back positive and reassuring, the cause of this remains unknown and unexplainable.” He added that “these symptoms have affected my strength, coordination, and some of my physical functions.”

He has not played since the Oct. 22 game against the Chicago Bears and also sat out the Nov. 1 win against the Miami Dolphins. This season, Henderson has 203 rushing yards and a touchdown on 52 carries, along with five catches for 45 yards.

Henderson’s situation is bigger than football right now. With no clear cause yet identified, the Patriots are treating his recovery cautiously and have not put a timetable on his return.

Vrabel, who ruled out both players at his Friday press conference, focused on Henderson’s care. “I know that he is well loved and respected on our football team. My support shows up in a lot of different ways, and I’m trying to make sure that TreVeyon’s cared for, the recovery plan is intact, he’s comfortable with it, and that his wife Kenzie is cared for and understands what was going on through the process.”

A.J. Brown Has Played Three Games Since Reuniting With Vrabel

Brown’s history with Vrabel goes back to the start of his career. He entered the league as a second-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2019, when Vrabel was their head coach, and played for him through 2021. When the trade came together in June, ESPN reported that New England was one of Brown’s preferred destinations, with Vrabel’s presence part of the draw.

Brown is under contract through 2029 on a deal carrying a $32 million average annual value, but injuries have kept him off the field for much of the season. He played in the opener, spent four games on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain, then returned for two games before another setback.

Then his knee flared up in practice last week, sidelining him in Miami and ruling him out against Green Bay. He has not practiced since Oct. 28. He has nine catches for 101 yards and no touchdowns on 20 targets across his three appearances.

Brown’s continued absence is a huge blow for New England’s offense, which currently ranks No. 11 in PFN Offense Impact Metric with a 75.7 grade.

That injury-shortened start comes after years of steady production. Brown and Ja’Marr Chase were the only two players to reach 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches in each of the four seasons before the trade, and Brown’s 8,029 yards and 56 scoring catches from 2019 through 2025 both ranked fourth in the league when the deal was made.

Vrabel, when asked on Friday about Brown’s state of mind, spoke only to the receiver’s work.

“I know he’s working extremely hard to get back, and he’s staying engaged in meetings and everything else, and doing everything that we ask him to do,” Vrabel said. “So, if you have a chance to ask him about his feelings, I think that’s always the best. I’m not going to speak on somebody else’s feelings. I can only comment on what I see and how he comes into the building; he’s engaged and certainly doing everything he can to get back.”

Sunday will be the sixth game Brown has missed in New England’s first nine.