The New England Patriots are sticking by NFL head coach Mike Vrabel despite his attention clearly being affected by the Dianna Russini scandal fallout.
Vrabel and the Patriots are slated to be on the clock Thursday when the 2026 NFL Draft starts in Pittsburgh. However, several major stories continue to unfold involving the former Super Bowl champion and Russini.
MORE: Dianna Russini lost entire NFL media credibility after scandalous photos emerge
Meanwhile, a new statement from the Patriots indicates that Vrabel has the team’s support during his challenging road ahead. Vrabel revealed Thursday that he won’t be present with New England for the entire draft as he seeks counseling Saturday during the final four rounds.
Statement from Patriots:“The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being. 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…
The longtime NFL head coach recently had his world abruptly changed when photos emerged with Russini at a luxury resort. However, that situation in Sedona is only part of the conversation after new photos surfaced Thursday.
Vrabel continues to face massive scrutiny following a bombshell report from Page Six prior to the NFL Draft. The Patriots head coach and Russini were seen kissing at a New York City bar back in 2020.
The viral interaction occurred just months before the sports media figure got married in September 2020.
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Meanwhile, Russini stepped down from her role at The Athletic in recent weeks following the scandal. The prominent media outlet started an investigation into Russini’s reporting prior to her leaving the job.
Below is the full statement from the Patriots ahead of the NFL Draft.
“The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being. 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.”