Fresh scrutiny has hit Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini after newly surfaced images from 2020 showed the pair appearing intimate at a New York City bar, years before their recent Arizona resort controversy. This comes as the NFL has already taken a call on the New England Patriots coach and Russini resined from her job at The Athletic. Both of them, married with children, have denied all affair allegations.
Old photos resurface
Photos published by Page Six show Vrabel and Russini at Tribeca Tavern in March 2020. In one image, the two appear to kiss, while another shows Vrabel, wearing a wedding ring, with his hand on Russini’s thigh.
“They were kissing and they were all over each other,” an eyewitness said. “He had a ring on.”
The sighting dates back to a time when Vrabel was married to his wife Jen and coaching the Tennessee Titans. Russini, then working at ESPN, would go on to marry Kevin Goldschmidt later that year.
NFL takes a call
Even after the 2020 images were out, the NFL has reiterated that it will not investigate Vrabel under its personal conduct policy. League spokesman Brian McCarthy previously confirmed the decision following earlier reports tied to the Arizona resort photos.
The policy states: “Conduct that is illegal, violent, dangerous, or irresponsible puts innocent victims at risk, damages the reputation of others associated with the game, and undercuts public respect and support for the NFL. We must endeavor at all times to be people of high character; we must show respect for others inside and outside our workplace; and we must conduct ourselves in ways that favorably reflect on ourselves, our teams, the communities we represent, and the NFL.”
Will Mike Vrabel be with the Patriots on Draft day?
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Vrabel is expected to be in the team’s draft room tonight, April 23, for the first round. This comes after the coach announced that he won’t be with the team on the third day. He will be at counselling.
Vrabel said he is taking an indefinite break to seek counseling. Addressing the controversy on Tuesday, Vrabel said he had had “difficult conversations” with his family, the Patriots, coaches and players over the scandal which he described as “positive and productive.”
In a statement to ESPN quoted across US media on Thursday, however, Vrabel said he had decided he now planned to step away from his job to begin counseling starting this weekend.
The decision means Vrabel will not be part of the Patriots team managing the third round of the NFL Draft on Saturday.
“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 me that I can possibly give them,” Vrabel was quoted as saying in the statement.
“In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend. This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.”
