Dan MurphyApr 21, 2026, 01:21 PM ETCloseCovers the Big TenJoined ESPN.com in 2014Graduate of the University of Notre DameFollow on XMultiple Authors
Mike Vrabel: My family, team, fans will get ‘the best version of me going forward’ (1:04)Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addresses the media over the photos released of him and Dianna Russini. (1:04)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Mike Vrabel said the New England Patriots and their fans will get “the best version of me going forward” after the New York Post published photos that appeared to show the coach embracing and holding hands with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.
“We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction. There are comments and questions that I’ve answered for the team and with the team. We’ll keep those private.”
The Post published a series of photos two weeks ago that show Vrabel and Russini together at a resort 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 didn’t accurately reflect their interaction.
After initially receiving support from The Athletic, Russini announced last week that she was resigning from her role at the outlet.
In his initial response to the Post, Vrabel said the photos showed a “completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.” 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 our football team. I think I addressed what I felt like was important.”
The reigning NFL Coach of the Year said he has also addressed the situation with Patriots owners and planned to keep the nature of those conversations private. An NFL spokesperson told ESPN last week that the league is not reviewing Vrabel’s behavior under its personal conduct policy.
In her resignation letter last week, Russini maintained that she covered the NFL with “professionalism and dedication throughout my career” but decided to step down because of the “media frenzy” that had followed the Post report. The Athletic is reviewing Russini’s past reporting, according to a letter that executive editor Steven Ginsberg sent to the organization’s staff last week.
“As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation,” Ginsberg wrote. “While our investigation into Dianna’s conduct was ongoing, she chose to resign.”
Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where she held various roles, including “SportsCenter” anchor, NFL analyst and insider. She hosted a podcast for The Athletic and made appearances on their video platform.
Vrabel, 50, won three Super Bowls as a player with New England. He is preparing for his second season as coach of the Patriots after leading them to a 14-3 regular-season record last season, which ended with a Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Mike Vrabel: My family, team, fans will get ‘the best version of me going forward’ (1:04)Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addresses the media over the photos released of him and Dianna Russini. (1:04)
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addresses the media over the photos released of him and Dianna Russini. (1:04)
Dan MurphyApr 21, 2026, 01:21 PM ETCloseCovers the Big TenJoined ESPN.com in 2014Graduate of the University of Notre DameFollow on XMultiple Authors
CloseCovers the Big TenJoined ESPN.com in 2014Graduate of the University of Notre DameFollow on X