A longtime New England Patriots reporter has revealed that Mike Vrabel 'has not been the same' around the team's facility since the Dianna Russini affair scandal emerged. The pair became embroiled in controversy earlier this month when the New York Post published suggestive photos of them fraternizing at a $2,500-a-night retreat in Sedona, Arizona. The Post later released other pictures, ostensibly showing Vrabel and Russini enjoying breakfast together.
Then on Thursday, exclusive photos from the New York Post purportedly showed Vrabel, then coach of the Tennessee Titans, at the now-closed Tribeca Tavern in New York with Russini, who was working for ESPN and covering the team at the time. On Wednesday, Vrabel revealed he would be seeking counseling and announced he won't be with the Patriots for Day 3 of this year's NFL Draft on Saturday.
The pair, who are both married with children, initially denied the allegations while claiming they were at the resort with a larger group of people at the time. Yet this week, Vrabel has issued a groveling apology to his family and promised to become a 'better person'.
Speaking on Boston's 98.5 The Sports Hub, former Patriots reporter and Sports Illustrated journalist Albert Breer revealed the scandal is taking its toll on the Patriots head coach. 'I can just tell you factually, he has not been the same the last two weeks in that building,' Breer said. 'The sense I've gotten talking to people is the bravado and everything else, I think this has taken a chunk out of that.'
'What you don't want is that version of Mike Vrabel walking around for the next six weeks until summer and then we'll see what happens when he gets back. You want to find a way to get the full Mike Vrabel back and to me that's the most important thing.'
'Right now they're lifting and running and meeting and doing all of that. If there's anything fortunate about this, it's that they're entering now into a period of time where it's important, don't get me wrong, but this is much better than this happening in the summer during training camp or the fall during the season. So I think you have a little leeway there.'
'The swagger, all of that to me, that's such a big part of who Mike is. That's such a big part of how he gets people on board with him. And I think the players will have his back.'
Despite continuing to deny the claims on her way out, Russini resigned from her job at The Athletic last week over the scandal. Vrabel, meanwhile, appears to have escaped punishment from both New England and the NFL. Vrabel has been married to Jen for more than two decades and they have two sons. Russini also has two sons with her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, whom she married in 2020.
The downcast coach apologized to his family just moments before the NFL Draft started on Thursday night, saying: 'I understand that there are questions, but I take accountability for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about, my family, this football team, the organization and our fans.'
'My previous actions don't meet the standard that I hold myself to. They don't. What I believe is best for the two most important things in my life, my family and this football team, is for us to take the necessary steps to work together and to give them what I told them I'd give them, which is the best version of me, and that's what we're going to do.'
'That's going to start, that has started, and that'll continue this weekend and it'll continue for however long it takes for me to give them and to complete that promise of giving them the best version of me possible.'
'My priorities are my family and this football team - and in that order - and there's a balance there that I am going to create. My family needs me this weekend and that's where I'll be.'
Other than describing Page Six's story as 'laughable' in an initial brief statement, Vrabel had been silent on the matter until ostensibly making himself accountable to the public at a Tuesday press conference. Asked about his initial 'laughable' comment, he admitted: 'I think that was, you know, always an attempt to protect your family and I would never be dismissive.'
'But I think my family and this football team are the most important thing, and that's what I plan to do, and I'm excited about the challenge with both of those things.'
He told reporters at the Patriots' return to practice earlier this week he'd had 'difficult conversations with people I care about - with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players' in the wake of the scandal. Vrabel and Russini have both denied any wrongdoing while insisting the photos of them hugging and hanging poolside are misleading.
In their own statement on Thursday night, the Patriots said: 'We 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.'
