Mike Vrabel had ‘difficult conversations’ over Russini photos

Foxborough, Mass. – Mike Vrabel said new England Patriots And his fans will get “the best version of me moving forward” after the New York Post published photos that showed the coach hugging and holding hands with former Athletic reporter Diana Russini.

Vrabel did not share any details about what he called a “personal and private matter” or his relationship with Russini and photos of the pair spending time together at an adults-only hotel in Arizona. He said his conversations with Patriots players when they reported for voluntary workouts on Monday were “positive and productive.”

“I’ve had some tough conversations with people I care about — my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” Vrabel said Tuesday. “They’ve been positive and productive. We believe that to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. It starts with me.”

“We never want our actions to negatively impact the team. We never want to cause a distraction. These are comments and questions I have responded to and with the team. We will keep them private.”

The Post published a series of photos two weeks ago that showed Vrabel and Russini together at a resort a few days before the NFL’s league meetings nearby in Phoenix. Vrabel and Russini, who are both married to other people, told the Post that the photos do not accurately reflect their interactions.

After initially receiving support from The Athletic, Russini announced last week that she was resigning from her role at the outlet.

Vrabel said he wanted to make a statement Tuesday so he could address the media before his players asked questions about the story and try to reduce distractions heading into the NFL Draft this week.

In his initial response to the post, Vrabel said the photos “show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is ridiculous.” When asked Tuesday if that was still his stance, Vrabel declined to answer.

“I appreciate the question,” he said. “I’m going to focus on my football team. I think I focused on what I thought was important.”

Vrabel gave a two-minute opening statement Tuesday without directly mentioning Russini or the photos and then took several minutes to answer questions about the upcoming draft starting Thursday.

The reigning NFL Coach of the Year said he has also addressed the situation with Patriots owners and plans to keep the nature of those conversations private. An NFL spokesperson told ESPN last week that the league is not reviewing Vrabel’s conduct under its personal conduct policy.

ESPN reported last week that Vrabel and Russini had coordinated with each other after being first contacted by the Post. Rasini also contacted a crisis communications expert before responding to the post.

In his resignation letter last week, Russini said he covered the NFL with “professionalism and dedication throughout his career” but decided to step down because of the “media frenzy” following the Post report. The Athletic is reviewing Russini’s past reporting, according to a letter sent to the organization’s staff last week by executive editor Steven Ginsberg.

“As additional information came to light, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation,” Ginsburg wrote. “While our investigation into Diana’s conduct continues, she has decided to resign.”

A Patriots spokesperson did not respond to a question last week about whether the team would review Vrabel’s relationship with Rusini.

Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where she served in a variety of roles, including “SportsCenter” anchor, NFL analyst and insider. He hosted a podcast for The Athletic and made appearances on their video platforms.

Vrabel, 50, won three Super Bowls as a player with New England. He is preparing for his second season as coach of the Patriots, having led them to a 14–3 regular season record last season, which ended with a loss in the Super Bowl. Seattle Seahawks.