New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel issued a longer public statement about the controversy regarding his relationship with NFL reporter Dianna Russini after controversial pictures of the two of them were made public.
Vrabel’s first public comments about the situation were vague. He said he had “difficult conversations” with those close to him, including his family, about what he called a “personal and private matter.” He simply said he had not intended to be a distraction to the team, and that the organization would get “the best version of me going forward.”
“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, my family, the organization, the coaches, the players. Those have been positive and productive,” Vrabel said. “We believe, in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never wanted to be the cause of distractions.
“I’m going to attack each day with humility and focus. What I can promise you is that my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, the fans will get the best version of me going forward. That’s what I know, and I’m excited to do that.”
Here’s Mike Vrabel’s statement pic.twitter.com/LkY8FypVy1
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) April 21, 2026
At no point did Vrabel offer any information regarding his relationship with Russini, nor did he even refer to her. He did not take any questions after delivering his statement. Vrabel had previously drawn some criticism for skipping the team’s pre-draft media availability, which some saw as an attempt to shield him from questions about the Russini situation.
Ultimately, Vrabel did not reveal much, and questions will continue to linger about the nature of his relationship with Russini after photos emerged of the two holding hands and hugging at a boutique hotel in Arizona during NFL meetings there. Both Vrabel and Russini denied that there was anything inappropriate about what was happening and that the two had been together as part of a larger group of friends.
Despite those claims of innocence, Russini ultimately resigned from The Athletic amid a probe into her behavior.
