While head coaches’ influence in draft rooms varies from team to team, they are regularly present throughout draft weekend. Mike Vrabel will only be available for part of the Patriots’ draft this year, however.
The second-year New England HC will miss Day 3 of the draft this year. Not long after making a statement after the New York Post published photos showing he and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at a resort in Arizona this year, Vrabel told ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss he will be with his family on Saturday.
“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel said. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.
“I have always wanted to lead by example, and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
The photographs released by the Post showed Vrabel and Russini hugging and holding hands. The Post has since released another batch of photos, these showing Vrabel and Russini kissing at a New York bar in March 2020. Vrabel and his wife, Jen, have two sons. Vrabel, 50, was the Titans’ HC in March 2020; Russini was an ESPN reporter at that time.
Vrabel told media this week the report showing he and Russini together at the Arizona resort this year is a “personal and private matter,” and indicated he “had some difficult conversations with people I care about — with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players.” His statement to Reiss emerged before the second round of photos surfaced. Russini resigned from The Athletic days after the Post published the first batch of photos.
Although Vrabel will be with his family Saturday, he told Reiss he will remain in contact with team decisionmakers. De facto GM Eliot Wolf and VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden are set to lead the draft room. This will be Wolf’s second draft with an official title atop the Patriots’ front office, though the veteran exec — initially brought in during Bill Belichick‘s HC/GM run — ran the 2024 draft before being named executive VP of player personnel. Vrabel brought in Cowden, his longtime Titans coworker whom he ultimately preferred be named GM during the team’s 2023 search process, shortly after his Pats hire in 2025. Although a report following Vrabel’s hire indicated he effectively overtook Wolf as the top Patriots decisionmaker, both he and Wolf report to ownership in New England.
The Pats have 11 draft picks this year. Eight of those picks come on the final day. The defending AFC champions hold two fourth-round choices, one fifth-round selection, four in Round 6 and one in Round 7. Vrabel not being present on an eight-pick day, with an absence allowing the successful coach to avoid media questions in a post-draft Saturday setting, will certainly come up as this wave of later-round prospects begin their careers.
“The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being,” the Patriots said Thursday in a statement (via the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi). “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.”
What a strange little piece of accountability theater this is.
I guess I’m struck by the utter stupidity here. First, that he’s married with two kids. Second, that he didn’t think that someone would see the canoodling he was doing in public. Yeah. Counseling. That’ll do the trick.
You forgot the other stupid piece which was the denial despite the pics, etc.
And the new drop of older pics. This wasn’t two people in a group of 6 hanging out one time, this is a years long affair.
Ha, couldn’t agree more. They’re clearly just trying to find some middle ground that makes everyone happy and stop talking about it. But it couldn’t read more clearly like a consulting companies idea of “putting the matter behind us”. Specifying day 3 is just so strange. I wasn’t even thinking about this before, but now I am because of how specific and strange this update is.
I’m guessing his wife is making him go as a condition to save marriage.
Unless him and his wife were actually having real marital problems. Don’t see what the big deal is. He was out in public with a female reporter! Who cares if he was hooking up with her
His wife. His wife cares.
Kids? They don’t?
A head coach being romantically/sexually involved with a journalist who covers the NFL for a major outlet is unethical for both parties.
Here’s a guy who’s been divorced a few times
are you an idiot?
It wouldn’t save my marriage. Vows were taken and counseling isn’t an eraser.
Definitely a conscious decision by both
This isn’t something that I’d pay much attention to, as it always involves a ton of hearsay, but I do wonder-who came up that original statement from Vrabel?
Yes he shouldn’t be so hard on himself for something he didn’t do.
Bill cheated on the field, Vrabel cheats off the field, & the owner knows where to get a ‘massage’ in Miami.
These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.
Married man photographed in public with a woman who’s not his wife … dontcha think that’s a bit creepy?
That was Vrabel’s initial statement after the pics were made public.
There’s a photo out now of them kissing in a bar in 2020.
Ouch. That’s…six years at least. Of course, making the assumption that it has been continuous.
People can speak for themselves, and obviously none of us know either party personally, but with that said…it beguiles me how someone can look at a person the same way knowing that they’ve had a secret affair. Not even a one time mistake (which is bad enough), but a long time arrangement of secrecy, lying, and cover ups.
Which brings me back to my question above: who crafted that original statement?
Cheating isn’t a ‘mistake’ – it’s a conscious choice.
Fair enough.
Plausible deniability until this little nugget if you ask me.
The “counseling” will take place at Ambiente resort in Sedona, Arizona.
I heard a rumor that Robert DeNiro recommended Billy Crystal as a therapist for Mike Vrabel but that has yet to be confirmed 🙂
That is so special, but marriage counseling takes second to day one and two of draft. What a guy. His wife must be so proud of her cheating ahole husband.
Someone would have to be dying for me to leave the war room
Not to go control my dick
Cant go to counseling on Monday?!?
It’s a fake attempt to show how important it is, to walk away from the draft when in reality Day 3 is just for a bunch of camp bodies. If it really meant anything he’d have gone immediately.
Someone would have to be dying for me to leave my teams war room
Not to go control my d**k
Football is life and human relationships are not a priority. You sound awesome. Can’t imagine why you’re not in a war room.
I would consider the fact that was probably part of it. Nothing is more important than the draft-by ditching it for counseling, you show that you are rearranging your priorities. If this has any chance to be successful, you sort of need to start with that.
Nothing says “we didn’t have an affair” like difficult conversations and counseling. So dumb
Ime Udoka that you?
Ruins his life over a 3. Nice work.
The counselor must be closed next Monday.
Russini’s son is named Michael. Dots connecting. Time for a DNA test.
COMMENTS OPEN because both deserve a pounding
It sounds like she’s already had hers.
Maybe Mike gets pegged in his counseling sessions?
Mike Vrabel is a Balloon Head!!
If he wasn’t white and a NE legend he would be gone without a thought
Race has zero to do with it. His affair is on it wrong but only wrongs his family, it doesn’t put the organization in any precarious position other than having a cheat employee. He’s not banging a subordinate that could sue or file harassment charges like the did at the U of Michigan.
The reporter should lose her job because her role is supposed to be based on neutrality and this whole saga is a hit on any credibility. An outlet can’t employ people that sleep their ways into gathering information no matter how bad they want to break stories.
She did lose her job
Of course and rightfully so.
Divorce….ever heard of that there Mike? There’s nothing ok with long term cheating on your wife….he needs more then counseling….
If you’re at the point of cheating just end the marriage already it’s best in the long term
I wonder how much more there is to this and wonder if it’ll inevitably cost Vrabel his job. Already been caught lying
When someone called Russini the Titans’ head beat reporter, this wasn’t the definition of head that I had first thought of.