Mike Vrabel Reportedly Wanted To Say More About Dianna Russini When Their Photos Went Public
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
When the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini issue broke out publicly in April, the football world was rocked.
While both denied their rumored affair, fans continued to speculate about it. It was so bad that Russini resigned from her position at The Athletic after her photos with Vrable emerged.
Despite the fiasco, Russini hasn’t used her platform to publicly boost either Vrabel or the New England Patriots, according to reports.
A few months have passed, and people are still talking about the Vrabel-Russini situation. And now, a new report suggests that the Patriots’ head coach had more to say about it privately.
Mike Vrabel Initially Wanted To Defend Dianna Russini
When the photos first started to emerge, Mike Vrabel initially downplayed it. Speaking to the New York Post, he said, “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
But due to the nature of the situation, pundits still talk about it ahead of the Patriots’ season opener against the Seahawks. ESPN did a deeper dive on the Vrable-Russini fiasco and found some interesting notes along their investigation.
“According to a person who spoke to Vrabel at the time, the head coach had wanted to issue a stronger statement that defended Russini’s reporting ethics but settled on downplaying the photos,” they reported.
Patriots Continue To Support Their Coach
Much has happened since the news broke in April. As mentioned, Russini no longer works for The Athletic after resigning from her post. Mike Vrabel went to marriage counseling during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Despite the scandal, the Patriots and their players have continued to stand by their coach.
“Ultimately, football players care about respect, they care about accountability, and they care if you can make them better,” the source told ESPN. “And if you can do those things, you can be the weirdest person, or you can be a stone-cold killer, and they won’t care.”
While Vrabel may have escaped scot-free, the situation has been a thorn in women’s sides, especially for those who cover football.
