The National Football League has confirmed it will not take action against teams that choose to reference the ongoing scandal involving Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini in their schedule release videos. The controversy began in March when the New York Post published photographs of the NFL insider and head coach embracing and socialising poolside at an adults-only resort in Arizona.
Subsequent images have emerged showing the pair enjoying breakfast at the same resort, as well as kissing at a New York bar in March 2020. The Daily Mail also released photos of Vrabel and Russini together at a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, in January 2024. The scandal has already been lampooned on ESPN's 'Inside the NBA' programme, and now NFL franchises may follow suit.
According to Front Office Sports, the league will not preview schedule release videos produced by teams, leaving content decisions entirely in their hands. An anonymous source stated: 'This is the day when teams are licensed to poke fun at each other. The Vrabel story has become such a public matter that teams can take the shot. You may get a call from the Patriots. But the league is not going to get involved.' The source added that the only times the league office communicates with teams are around labour agreements, collective bargaining, or referees.
The annual schedule release, scheduled for Thursday at 8 pm ET, is the one occasion when teams are permitted to mock one another openly. The Los Angeles Chargers have been described as 'masters' of trolling, often targeting both teams and individuals in their videos. Another source remarked: 'The Chargers are masters at it. They don't only take shots at teams; they take shots at individuals as well.'
The saga began in March when Page Six released pictures of Vrabel and Russini at an exclusive adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona. Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, for over two decades, and they have two children. In the weeks that followed, additional photos surfaced, including one of the pair cosying up in a New York bar. The scandal took a new turn last week when video footage emerged of them embarking on a romantic boat trip in June 2021, just months before Russini gave birth to her first son.
According to TMZ, Vrabel and Russini hired a vessel for two to three hours in June 2021, when he was still coaching the Tennessee Titans and she was reporting on him for ESPN. A source with knowledge of the rental confirmed they were the only passengers, supported by a signed company waiver. The Daily Mail obtained video of the couple walking along a dock near a lake in Putnam County, Tennessee. Russini, visibly pregnant, walked a few steps ahead of Vrabel, both dressed in T-shirts and shorts for a day on the water.
Witnesses claimed the pair were hesitant to have their photos taken with fans. TMZ reported that Russini declined a photo request, while Vrabel agreed only on condition it not be posted online. Russini gave birth to her first son, named Mike, in August 2021. TMZ reported that the name was in honour of her brother, Michael Russini, not the Patriots coach.
Russini was seen publicly for the first time since the scandal broke on Sunday, displaying a united front with her husband. Page Six published photos of her kissing Kevin Goldschmidt, a high-level Shake Shack executive whom she married in 2020, outside their New Jersey home on Mother's Day. She appeared to be carrying their younger son while embracing Goldschmidt.
