Hours after Mike Vrabel said he’d miss part of the NFL Draft to seek counseling, the New York Post published years-old pictures showing him getting cozy with reporter Dianna Russini at a New York City bar.
According to the Post, the newly released photos were taken in the early hours of March 11, 2020, when Vrabel was the head coach of the Titans and Russini was working for ESPN. In the pictures, the two can be seen sitting closely with their knees pressed against each other’s, with one photo and the Post’s reporting indicating that they were seen kissing.
“They were kissing and they were all over each other,” an eyewitness told the Post’s Page Six. vertical, with the source adding, “They were having a glorious time. They were [giving each other] pecks, a bunch of pecks constantly.”
Earlier this week, the reigning AP NFL Coach of the Year broke his silence on the fallout from photos of him and Russini at an adults-only resort in Arizona, calling it a “personal and private matter.” Following the first batch of photos, Vrabel called any insinuation that they depicted anything other than an innocent interaction “laughable.”
Russini resigned from her role as The Athletic’s senior NFL insider last week amid increased scrutiny over the initial pictures from Arizona, which showed her and Vrabel holding hands, hugging, and lounging in a hot tub. In a statement, the ex-ESPN reporter claimed that she and Vrabel were at the resort with a larger group of friends, who weren’t present in the photos.
The Athletic initially defended its star reporter, with executive editor Steve Ginsberg calling the pictures “misleading” and claiming that they “lack essential context.”
The New York Times-owned outlet, however, later pulled Russini from its NFL coverage as it further investigated the photos before her resignation last week.
The photos took place while Russini was at ESPN, several years before she left for The Athletic. An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment as to whether the network is reviewing her past work there.
The NFL had previously said that it was not investigating Vrabel under its personal conduct policy, which it reiterated to FOS on Thursday afternoon.
The New York Times did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday afternoon. The Patriots told FOS that Vrabel will remain with the team through the first two days of the draft, as planned.
“The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being,” the Patriots said in a statement. “Mike has been open with us about his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that commitment.
“We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with our personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. While he will not be present at the facility on Saturday, we know the draft evaluations are complete and Eliot Wolf and his personnel staff are prepared to execute our draft as planned this weekend.”
– Dennis Young and Ryan Glasspiegel contributed reporting.
