Patriots HC Mike Vrabel: Had ‘Difficult Conversations’ Over NFL Reporter Photos

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Tuesday that he’s had “difficult conversations with people I care about,” including his family, his coaching staff and players, following the publication of photos of the coach and longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort. “Those [conversations] 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,” Vrabel said in an unscheduled statement from the podium at the team’s facility on the second day of its offseason workout program. The photos were of Vrabel and Russini at a Sedona resort and were taken before the annual NFL meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29, according to the New York Post, which published the photos earlier this month. Vrabel and Russini, who are both married, released written statements to the Post after the publication of the story downplaying what the photos depict. But Russini resigned from The Athletic less than a week later after the Post’s report prompted an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet. Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where she held various roles, including “SportsCenter” anchor, NFL analyst and insider. She hosted a podcast for The Athletic and made appearances on their video platform. The NFL, meanwhile, said last weekend that it is not investigating Vrabel’s behavior. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday that the league is not looking into the matter. Until his appearance Tuesday, Vrabel hadn’t spoken in a news conference setting with reporters since the owners’ meetings. Last year, prior to his first season as Patriots coach, he addressed reporters as part of the lead up to the NFL draft. He opted not to do that last week, with only Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf speaking at that news conference on April 13. “Very involved. Business as usual,” Wolf said when asked how much Vrabel had been involved with the team’s draft process. “I’d say he’s been in there with us this round probably a little more than he was in there last year. … He’s been in there. He’s been contributing. He’s watched a ton of the players.” Vrabel, 50, won three Super Bowls as a player with New England. He is preparing for his second season as coach of the Patriots. He coached the team to a 14-3 finish last season, which ended with a Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Reporting by The Associated Press.