NEED TO KNOWThe New England Patriots "fully support" head coach Mike Vrabel in a new statement on Thursday

Vrabel announced a day earlier that he will miss part of the 2026 NFL Draft to prioritize his family and well-being

Vrabel is seeking counseling after photos surfaced of him and former NFL reporter Dianna Russini hugging and holding hands

The New England Patriots "fully support" head coach Mike Vrabel's decision to seek counseling in the wake of an ongoing photo scandal involving former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.

In a statement obtained Thursday, April 23, by Page Six, the organization said it backs the 50-year-old head coach for prioritizing his family, which includes wife Jen Vrabel and their two sons, "as well as his own well-being," as he is now expected to miss the third and final day of the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night.

"The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being," the statement read.

"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."

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“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 [Patriots Executive Vice President of Player Personnel] Eliot Wolf and his personnel staff are prepared to execute our draft as planned this weekend."

The Patriots did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment.

Vrabel, who is entering his second year as New England's head coach, is "expected to be in the Draft room" Thursday night, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The Patriots own the 30th overall pick in the first round of this year's draft.

The former NFL linebacker-turned-coach first announced Wednesday, April 22, that he would seek counseling after being at the center of a recent media firestorm, when Page Six published photos of him and Russini, who is also married, hugging and holding hands at a luxury resort in Arizona.

Both denied any wrongdoing to the outlet in early April.

The saga took a stunning twist on Thursday, when Page Six published a new batch of photos featuring Vrabel and Russini, 43, at a New York City bar in 2020. The two appeared to share a kiss in one photo while another featured Vrabel wearing his wedding ring with his hand on Russini's thigh.

Russini announced her resignation from The Athletic on April 14 — days after the outlet, which is owned by The New York Times, said it was launching an investigation.