Vrabel initially said the photos showed a “completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”

NFL coach Mike Vrabel says he had ‘difficult conversations’ with family and team about Dianna Russini scandal

Vrabel initially said the photos showed a "completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable."

By Sharareh Drury

April 21, 2026 2:08 p.m. ET

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Timothy T Ludwig/Getty; Amy Sussman/Getty

- New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel is speaking out again about vacation photos with NFL reporter Dianna Russini.

- Vrabel and Russini, who are married to other people, were snapped holding hands at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Ariz.

- "We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of the distraction," Vrabel said during a press conference on Tuesday.**

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel is finally addressing the ongoing scandal around leaked vacation photos of him with NFL reporter Dianna Russini.

Speaking on the matter during a press conference on Tuesday, Vrabel began by expressing gratitude for "patience" he'd been shown regarding heavy news coverage around the photos.

"I understand I could have addressed you guys sooner, but it was important to me to have a conversation with the players, which I did yesterday, very candidly as we began our offseason program, which everyone is excited to be a part of," Vrabel said, adding that he found it important that he be the first to address the matter versus anyone else on the team.

"I also don't want to take away from the draft, the weekend of the draft," Vrabel continued. "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."

Vrabel has been having "difficult conversations" with his family, the NFL, fellow coaches and Patriots players. "Those have been positive and productive, and we believe in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me, that starts with me," he shared.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at Super Bowl LX.

Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty

"We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of the distraction," he continued, noting that discussions and questions he has had with the Patriots will be kept "private."

"I care deeply about this football team and excited to coach them," Vrabel said at the conference. "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, that 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 and I'm excited to do that. But I wanted to want just address this and thank you for your patience and dealing with the private and personal manner."

NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns following leaked vacation photos with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel

USA Today NFL reporter fired over social comment on Dianna Russini's resignation post

Vrabel and Russini — who are both married to other people — were seen holding hands and hugging at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Ariz. in a series of exclusive photos published by *Page Six*.

Both Russini and Vrabel initially released statements to the outlet, with Vrabel saying the photos showed "a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable."

Russini's statement noted that the photos didn't fully represent their outing at the resort, saying there was a "group of six people who were hanging out during the day" and "reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues."**

Diana Russini at the Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions game on December 25, 2025.

Stephen Maturen/Getty

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A week after the photos were published, Russini announced that she was resigning from her position at *The Athletic*. The sportscaster shared her letter of resignation to executive editor Steven Ginsberg on social media, writing that her exit is "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."

Ginsberg explained in a message to his staff that the sports outlet would still conduct an investigation into Russini's conduct.**

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