Mike Vrabel addressed what he called “laughable” photos — of himself and now former NFL reporter Dianna Russini getting cozy in a bungalow in Arizona — on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the NFL draft.
The New England Patriots head coach has avoided the matter since Page Six published the bombshell photos of Vrabel and Russini holding hands and hanging out in a hot tub together at an exclusive couples retreat in Sedona.
“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” Vrabel said to open the April 21 press conference.
“I understand I could have, you know, addressed you guys sooner, but it was important to me to have a conversation with the players, which I did yesterday very candidly as we began our off-season program.”
The married father of two said he decided to address the photos because he didn’t want his players to have to answer questions about him before he could address the team. As he heads into his second season leading New England, Vrabel said he didn’t want the off-the-field drama to distract from the NFL Draft which starts Thursday in Pittsburgh. The Patriots have the 31st overall pick.
“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,” Vrabel said. “We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction … the comments and questions that I’ve answered for the team and with the team, we’ll keep those private and to ourselves. I care deeply about this football team and I’m excited to coach them.”
Vrabel told the reporters this season he plans to attack each day with “humility” and “focus” while promising to be a better man.
“I can promise you, my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, everybody, our fans most importantly, you will get the best version of me going forward,” Vrabel said.
As far as any disciplinary action for Vrabel’s personal interactions with Russini, who at the time of the March meet-up was an NFL reporter with The Athletic, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to USA Today Sports that Vrabel is not under investigation for any violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.
The policy, as it relates to non-NFL players, warns against “conduct that is illegal, violent, dangerous, or irresponsible puts innocent victims at risk, damages the reputation of others associated with the game, and undercuts public respect and support for the NFL. We must endeavor at all times to be people of high character; we must show respect for others inside and outside our workplace; and we must conduct ourselves in ways that favorably reflect on ourselves, our teams, the communities we represent, and the NFL.”
Russini, a long-time NFL insider for NBC, ESPN, and most recently The Athletic, resigned from the New York Times-owned publication April 14 after it was revealed that her actions were under internal investigation.
RELATED: Married NFL Reporter Resigns After Poolside Photos With Coach Spark Scrutiny
Russini has been married to Shake’n’Steak executive Kevin Goldschmidt since 2020, and they share two children. Vrabel has been married to his college sweetheart since 1999.
When Vrabel was asked about Russini directly on Tuesday, he kept mum: “I respect and I appreciate every single question, but I’m not going to be able to comment on anything as it relates to that. I appreciate your job and what you guys have got to do, but I have to make my comments and what I answer about our football team.”
.png)
.png)
