Mike Vrabel breaks silence on Diana Russini saga at Patriots presser

Mike Vrabel addressed the Diana Russini case in person for the first time Tuesday, as the New England Patriots began making themselves available to the media during their offseason conditioning program.

To begin with: no, he neither admitted nor denied anything.

There was an underlying tone of contrition. But there was no apology for anything.

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Yeah, too late

“I’ve had difficult conversations with people I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players. Those have been positive and productive,” Vrabel told reporters at the start of his first news conference since the saga and accompanying photos became public.

“We believe that being successful on and off the field is about making good decisions. That includes me. It starts with me. I never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction.”

Vrabel and Russini were photographed together at a private resort in Sedona, Arizona, by an unknown person who sold the photos to the New York Post, which published them on Page Six.

Photos of the NFL head coach and reporter sunbathing by a pool, in a hot tub and on the roof of a bungalow holding hands and kissing caused an uproar across the league. Russini, who is under investigation by his employer, The Athletic, resigned as a result.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel shouts during the first half of the AFC NFL Championship football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (Ashley Landis/AP)

The Athletic’s investigation into this matter continues.

The NFL does not currently intend to open an investigation into this matter as it is a possible violation of the Personal Conduct Policy. And the Patriots intend to keep conversations between Vrabel, owner Robert Kraft and the players as private as possible.

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Although Russini and Vrabel released statements saying there was no wrongdoing and claiming that other people were present when they were together, neither had spoken publicly about the matter — until Vrabel did.

The two-week delay in handling the matter caused Vrabel to open his statement by speaking to New England area reporters who cover the team daily.

“Let me start by thanking you,” the coach said. “Thank you for your patience, which you have shown in a personal and private matter for me, and obviously for everyone involved. I know this is not easy for you, and I respect that, and I appreciate your efforts to do this.

“I understand that I could have, you know, trusted you earlier, but it was important for me to have a conversation with the players, which I did yesterday, quite frankly, as we began our offseason program, which everyone is excited to be a part of.”

Dianna Russini attends the Fanatics Super Bowl Party 2026 at Pier 48 in San Francisco, California on February 7, 2026. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Vrabel said the club’s vice president of media relations and communications, Stacey James, pointed out to him that the players were scheduled to speak to reporters Tuesday afternoon. And it would allow these players to address their head coach’s situation with a reporter before the coach does.

This helped force Vrabel’s hand.

“It was never my intention to let them speak to you or address you before me,” Vrabel said. “And so I asked him to come today and talk with you.

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“You know, I also don’t want to take away from our, you know, the draft, the draft weekend. It’s an important time for us, our organization and the excitement and the joy that these players are going to have and that we bring to our football team.

“They are embarking on an incredible journey, one that should be celebrated as we welcome them to our team.”