PITTSBURGH — Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel sought to quell the rising storm around him with a surprise pre-draft press conference, but did little to diminish the ongoing scandal.
In a terse, eight-minute press conference that had been abruptly scheduled less than two hours before, Vrabel reiterated that he would begin counseling on Saturday and miss the third day of the NFL Draft. That’s happening as disclosures continue regarding a personal relationship with reporter Dianna Russini, formerly of The Athletic and ESPN, and among those who had closely covered his teams.
Vrabel, however, said he “can’t answer” whether there will be additional absences from Patriots activities beyond that.
“I owe to those I care most about, my family and this team, to give them the best version of me possible,” Vrabel said.
All in One Day
His comments, just minutes before the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, were the latest in a roller-coaster day for him. Vrabel previously sought to work through the snowballing Russini scandal. Shortly after midnight Thursday, Vrabel said he would miss the third day of the draft on Saturday to begin counseling.
Very soon after that, though, the New York Post published a second tranche of photos of Vrabel and Russini, and further reported the two had been seen kissing in a bar in 2020. That release was then quickly followed by a separate set of photos from TMZ of the pair at a Las Vegas casino after he was fired as Titans head coach in January 2024.
The two additional photo releases within hours of each other suggested that a continued drip of increasingly salacious images was likely—and still is. The situation, however, was somewhat predictable as Vrabel initially dismissed the Russini story as “laughable” and one that didn’t “deserve any further response.”
That stance quickly crumbled as Russini’s claim of being at an Arizona resort with Vrabel as part of a larger group was never substantiated. The statements from Vrabel and Russini likely helped prompt those with photos of the pair to search their phones for them.
“I take accountability for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about: my family, football team, the organization, and our fans. … my family needs me this weekend, and that’s where I’ll be,” Vrabel said.
Vrabel added that the counseling will continue “however long it takes.”
Asked directly about his prior claim that the speculation around the Russini situation was “laughable,” Vrabel responded, “I don’t think those comments … that was an attempt to protect your family, I would never be dismissive.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, meanwhile, told ESPN before the first round of the draft started that the Vrabel situation is a personal matter and does not come under the league’s personal conduct policy.
New England is currently slated to pick 31st late Thursday, representing the next-to-last pick in the first round.
