New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, embroiled in controversy involving his relationship with former NFL reporter Dianna Russini, is stepping away from the team indefinitely to seek counseling and be with his family.
The news, first reported by ESPN, means Vrabel will miss part of the NFL Draft that begins Thursday and runs through Saturday. Vrabel will be out of the team all day on Saturday.
Saturday is the day the NFL Draft will conduct rounds 4 through 7. The Patriots currently own eight picks in those rounds, including two in the fourth round.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel celebrates after the AFC championship game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on January 25, 2026. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
The club’s executive vice president of player personnel, Eliot Wolf, will orchestrate the entire draft for the Patriots along with vice president of player personnel, Ryan Cowden. Even if Vrabel is available by phone for feedback, it obviously won’t be the same for the Patriots as it was in the 2025 draft, the coach’s first with the team.
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“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of myself that I could give them,” Vrabel said in a statement sent to ESPN.
“To achieve this, I have committed to seeking counseling starting this weekend. This is something I have thought a lot about and is something I would recommend a player do if I were advising them.
“I have always wanted to lead by example, and I believe this is what I need to do to be the best husband, father, and coach I can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but I know it will make me a better person. I appreciate the support everyone has given me, and I promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks to reporters at the NFL annual meetings in Phoenix on March 31, 2026. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)
While it may seem like this is good news because Vrabel obviously sees an issue that needs to be addressed, the timing of his separation from the team suggests that the situation is serious and needs immediate attention regardless of the NFL schedule.
It should be noted that the Patriots also just started their offseason program this week and will continue next week, possibly without Vrabel.
Apparently, therapy is a step that Vrabel is taking to improve but also to save his marriage.
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Vrabel plans to be with his wife Jennifer and their two children outside of Massachusetts, ESPN reported.
Vrabel and Jennifer have been married since 1999. In 2024 they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to Italy. The couple met when they were both student-athletes at Ohio State University.
It has been a difficult month for Vrabel, even if it is because he brought it on himself.
Days after returning from the NFL’s annual meeting in Phoenix on March 31, the New York Post contacted Vrabel for comment about the newspaper being in possession of apparently compromising photographs of the coach and Russini, who was working for The Athletic at the time as an NFL reporter.
The coach and reporter spent time together in Sedona, Arizona, before league meetings at an adult resort, where they were photographed sunbathing by a pool, in a hot tub, at a bar and on the rooftop of a bungalow holding hands and hugging.
Both Vrabel and Russini, who is also married, denied any wrongdoing. The coach called the idea “laughable.”
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No one laughed when The Athletic launched an investigation into its reporter’s behavior, leading to her resignation, and Vrabel was forced to talk to his family, the Patriots’ owners and his players about the trip.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel talks with quarterback Drake Maye during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on September 7, 2025. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
He spoke to reporters about the situation Tuesday, making his first public comments on the matter.
Vrabel did not explain what happened and neither admitted nor denied anything about his relationship with Russini.
But he admitted that talking to people he values has been difficult.
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“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” he said.
It seems the difficult conversations are not over.
