Less than 48 hours after New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addressed concerning photos that showed him embracing and holding hands with NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a resort in Arizona last month, the Pats’ lead man told ESPN that he would seek counseling and will not be with the team for the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Instead of being in New England’s war room this Saturday, Vrabel will reportedly spend the weekend with his family outside of Massachusetts. The coach said he will be in contact with the team but is confident executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden will be able to successfully complete the draft.
“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel said, per ESPN. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.
“I have always wanted to lead by example and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
Earlier this month, the New York Post’s Page Six published photos where Vrabel was seen hugging and holding hands with Russini at a luxury hotel in Sedona, Ariz. In an initial statement to Page Six, Vrabel said the photos showed a “completely innocent interaction, and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.” Russini responded to the story saying, “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.” On Wednesday, Page Six posted additional photos of Vrabel and Russini eating breakfast together in Arizona on March 28 — the same day which the original photos of the two were taken.
Russini resigned from The Athletic on April 14, while the outlet conducted an internal investigation. Vrabel publicly addressed the photos for the first time on Tuesday, and thanked reporters for their patience as he navigated a “personal and private matter.”
“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” Vrabel said. “Those have been positive and productive. We believe in order to be successful on and off the field you have to make good decisions. That includes me, that starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team, we never want to be the cause of a distraction.
“These are comments and questions that I’ve answered for the team and with the team and we’ll keep those private and to ourselves. I care deeply about this football team and I’m excited to coach them. I also know that I’m going to attack each day with humility and focus, and what I can promise you is that my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, everybody, our fans most importantly, will get the best version of me going forward. And that’s what I know, and I’m excited to do that. But I wanted to just address this and thank you for your patience in dealing with a private and personal matter.”
The 2026 NFL Draft takes place in Pittsburgh from Thursday, April 23 through Saturday, April 25. New England holds 11 total selections, beginning with No. 31 overall.
