For the first time since photos of Mike Vrabel and former NFL reporter for The Athletic, Dianna Russini, emerged online, the New England Patriots head coach spoke to the media on Tuesday.
Vrabel said he spoke with those he cares about — including his Patriots players — on Monday before addressing the situation publicly with a statement.
“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people I care about about — with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players. Those have been positive and productive. In order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction.
Those are comments and questions that I’ve answered for the team and with the team and we’ll keep those private and to ourselves. I care deeply about this football team and I’m excited to coach them. I also know that I’m going to attack each day with humility and focus. And what I can promise you is that my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, everybody, our fans most importantly will get the best version of me going forward. And that’s what I know. I’m excited to do that, but I wanted to just address this and thank you for dealing with a private and personal matter,”
The 50-year-old Vrabel led New England to a 14–3 record and a Super Bowl appearance in his first season as their head coach.
There is no expectation that a coaching change will take place, meaning Vrabel will remain in charge heading into 2026 with the hope of getting over the final hump and winning the Super Bowl in year two with the Patriots.
Next: A.J. Brown Tracking to Be Traded to the New England Patriots
