New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel on Thursday night called on the media to be “accountable” ahead of the NFL Draft after a photo of him with NFL reporter Deanna Russini was released.
Vrabel and Russini were recently photographed holding hands at an Arizona resort, but the couple initially downplayed the incident.
Russini has since resigned from his role with The Athletic, but Vrabel said earlier this week that he had “difficult conversations” with his family and the Patriots organization.
Vrabel, who just led the Patriots to the Super Bowl in his first season as head coach, announced late Wednesday that he would miss Saturday’s third day of the NFL Draft to attend counseling sessions.
New photos of the two together were released on Thursday, with Page Six sharing a photo from a New York bar in 2020 and TMZ following up with a photo from a Mississippi casino in 2024. New York Post and TMZ.
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Highlights from Super Bowl 60, where the Seattle Seahawks faced the New England Patriots in California.
“I would like to address the news regarding my current situation. I understand that you may have questions, but I take responsibility for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people I care about most,” Vrabel said.
“My family, this football team, our organization and our fans. My actions thus far have not met the standards I hold for myself. They have not.”
“I believe that what’s best for the two most important things in my life, my family and this football team, is for us to take the necessary steps to work together and give them what I said I would give them, which is the best version of me.”
“That’s what we’re going to do. It’s started and it’s going to continue this weekend. It’s going to continue no matter how long it takes.”
“My priorities are my family and then this football team. My family needs me this weekend and I’m going to be there.”
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Watch the moment and players’ reactions when the Las Vegas Raiders made quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Patriots released a statement Thursday emphasizing their support for Vrabel and expressing confidence in “the leadership and communication Mike established with his personnel staff throughout the pre-draft process.”
“The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family as well as his own health,” the Patriots’ statement read.
“Mike has been honest about his commitment to be the best version of himself for his family, team and fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to live up to that commitment.”
When asked about his decision to sit out draft day Saturday, Vrabel insisted it was “necessary” to prioritize his family.
The NFL recently acknowledged it was not investigating the issue, a sentiment echoed by commissioner Roger Goodell in an interview with ESPN on Thursday.
“This is not a personal course of action as we know it today,” Goodell said Thursday. “That’s a personal matter, so I’ll leave it at that.
“If it’s a personal issue, I think the team will address those issues. The team has more information that will be helpful to the parties involved.”
Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, was named head coach last offseason and led New England to Super Bowl LX, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara in February.
Watch Day 2 of the NFL Draft live from midnight on Friday with main event, action and mix on Sky Sports. The draft will then conclude with Day 3, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Action from 5pm on Saturday.
