Patriots release statement in support of Mike Vrabel after release of new photos with Dianna Russini

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

Mike Vrabel continues to find himself in hot water. John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe

April 23, 2026 | 5:50 PM

2 minutes to read

As Mike Vrabel plans to skip the third and final day of the 2026 NFL Draft to seek counseling, the Patriots released a statement on Thursday in support of their head coach.

Vrabel’s plan to be away from the team on Saturday comes amid continued fallout from the New York Post publishing photos of the Patriots head coach with former The Athletic NFL insider Dianna Russini.

Here is the full Patriots statement, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

“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.”

Vrabel has drawn plenty of headlines over the last few weeks after Page Six — the gossip arm of the New York Post — first published the photos of him and Russini.

Earlier this month, the New York Post posted photos of the duo — who are both married to other people — holding hands and embracing at a resort in Sedona, Arizona.

On Thursday afternoon, the New York Post published additional photos of Vrabel and Russini together, this time at a New York City bar in March 2020.

The new photos show Vrabel — then head coach of the Tennessee Titans — and Russini, an ESPN NFL reporter at the time, appearing to kiss as they sat at the bar.

According to the New York Post, “Page Six contacted both Vrabel and Russini on Wednesday afternoon regarding the photos. While neither commented for this story, Vrabel told ESPN just hours later that he will miss day three of the NFL draft to enter counseling.”

On Tuesday, Vrabel addressed the media for the first time since those photos of him and Russini were released. As part of his extended statement to the media, Vrabel acknowledged that he was going through a “personal and private matter” and had already gone through some “difficult conversations” with his family, team, and many others over the last few weeks.

Last week, Russini announced her resignation from The Athletic.

Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft figures to be a busy one for the Patriots, as eight of New England’s 11 draft picks are in Rounds 4-7.

New England currently has two fourth-round picks (No. 125, No. 131), one fifth-round pick (No. 171), four sixth-round picks (No. 191, No. 198, No. 202, No. 212), and one seventh-round pick (No. 247).