New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel will not be in the team's war room this Saturday. Less than 48 hours after publicly addressing photos that showed him with NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort last month, Vrabel told ESPN he would spend the weekend with his family and begin counseling, stepping away from the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft in the process.
"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."
He added that he wanted to lead by example. "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."
Vrabel said he will remain in contact with the team remotely and expressed confidence in executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden to manage Saturday's selections.
The situation began earlier this month when the New York Post's Page Six published photos of Vrabel and Russini hugging and holding hands at a luxury hotel in Sedona, Arizona. Vrabel initially dismissed the images as a "completely innocent interaction," and Russini said the photos did not reflect a group outing involving six people. A second round of photos, published Wednesday by Page Six, showed the two eating breakfast together on March 28, the same day the original images were taken.
Russini resigned from The Athletic on April 14 while the outlet conducted an internal investigation into the matter. Vrabel did not publicly address the situation until Tuesday, thanking reporters for their patience with what he called a "personal and private matter." He said the conversations he had with his family, the organization, coaches, and players had been "positive and productive."
Day 3 of the NFL Draft takes place Saturday. Wolf and Cowden will handle New England's remaining picks without Vrabel present in the building.
