The NFL has tweaked the rules to allow head coaches to delegate before each game the task of physically throwing the red challenge flag. On Thursday night, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel did not hand the function off — as evidenced by a windup and heave-ho that looked like something from a track and field competition.
After the game, Vrabel was asked by reporters whether the gesture was a message that he’ll be retaining the flag-throwing duties.
“I don’t think that that’s new because I think that there are other people,” Vrabel said. “I don’t know where this is getting so much traction. I think maybe it’s on a form now that it’s a designated person. The officials will normally ask us 90 minutes prior to the game. You have a meeting, and you go through who has the challenge flag, who’s the ‘get back’ coach, who’s the captains, who has a cast, running any trick plays, anything that we want to look for. They’ve always asked me who has the challenge flag, and I know that there’s been other players, or other people other than coaches. So I was kind of surprised that this got talked about. But, no, I’ll keep the challenge flag.”
The 2026 rulebook implies that the rule is indeed new, given the addition of the language “or head coach’s pregame challenge designee” in red print.
Perhaps in the past it was unofficially done, and the rules were simply adjusted to reflect the practice.
Regardless, Vrabel will keep the red flag. And he’ll make sure there’s no ambiguity when it’s time to let it fly.
