Mike Vrabel has revealed he had some “difficult conversations” with his family and the Patriots after he and reporter Dianna Russini were pictured embracing at an Arizona resort.
The New England coach and Russini — who are both married to other people — denied that anything nefarious was going on between them after Page Six published photos of the two holding hands and hugging at the Ambiente resort in Sedona. Russini later resigned from her role at The Athletic but maintained her innocence.
On Tuesday, Vrabel addressed reporters for the first time since the photos were published, calling the situation a “personal and private matter.”
”I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about,” he said. “My family, the organization, the coaches, the players. Those have been positive and productive.
“We believe that in order to be successful, 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.”
Vrabel added that he had a “candid” conversation with his players on Monday, as the coach and the organization now look ahead to the NFL Draft beginning on Thursday.
“I also don’t want to take away from the draft,” he said. “This is an important time for us, our organization, and the excitement and the joy that those players are going to have that we bring onto our football team, they’re starting an amazing journey – one that should be celebrated as we welcome them onto our team.”
He concluded his statement: “I care deeply about this football team… What I can promise you is that my family, this organization, this team, the staff, the coaches, our fans most importantly, will get the best version of me going forward.”
After the photos were published earlier this month, Russini told Page Six: “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
Vrabel echoed that sentiment, as he said: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Three sources told Page Six that they didn’t see other people with the coach and reporter.
Russini initially received a strong public backing from The Athletic’s executive editor, Steven Ginsberg.
However, it was later reported that she was the subject of an internal investigation — before she stepped away from her high-paying role last Tuesday.
“Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30,” she wrote in a resignation letter.
“I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career,” Russini added.
Vrabel and the Patriots will pick at the back end of the NFL draft on Thursday, as they have the No. 31 overall selection following their trip to the Super Bowl.
