The situation involving New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and NFL Insider Dianna Russini has taken another turn.
Page Six released new 2020 photos of the two at a bar in New York City, where they were “all over each other.” An eyewitness told the outlet that they were “kissing,” where the head coach “had a ring on.”
At the time, Vrabel was married to his wife, Jen, while Russini was engaged to her now-husband, Kevin Goldschmidt; the two married six months later.
“They were having a glorious time. They were [giving each other] pecks, a bunch of pecks constantly,” the source added. “There was nobody in there. Nobody knew who they were. I don’t even think the bartenders did.”
This occurred at the Tribeca Tavern on March 11, 2020, when Vrabel was head coach of the Tennessee Titans while Russini was working at ESPN.
Page Six reached out to both Vrabel and Russini before publishing the photos, but neither commented. However, it was shortly after that ESPN reported that the head coach would be missing day three of the NFL draft to seek counseling.
Mike Vrabel Says He’s Seeking Counseling Because He Wants To ‘Lead By Example’
On Thursday morning, hours before the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that Vrabel will be missing the third day of the NFL draft.
“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. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel said Wednesday night in a statement to the outlet. “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.
“I have always wanted to lead by example, and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
Here’s Everything Mike Vrabel Said When Addressing Reporters On Tuesday
Vrabel initially wasn’t set to speak with reporters until the night of the NFL Draft, but on Tuesday, when two players were scheduled to speak, he came out instead to address reporters regarding the situation.
“Thank you for your patience that you’ve shown in a personal and private matter for me and obviously everybody involved. I know that that’s not easy for you and I respect that and appreciate your efforts in doing so,” he began.
“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. Stacey had mentioned the players’ availability and it was never my intention to have them speak with you or address you before I did, so I asked him to come today and talk with you.
“I also don’t want to take away from the draft, the weekend of the draft. 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 are starting an amazing journey. One that should be celebrated as we welcome them on to our team.
“With that being said, I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players. Those have been positive and productive. We believe in order to be successful on and off the field you have to make good decision. That includes me. That starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively effect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction. And those are comments and questions that I’ve answered with the team and we’ll keep those private, to ourselves.
“I care deeply about this football team and I’m excited to coach them. I also know that I’m going to attack each day with humility and focus and what I can promise you is, my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, everybody, our fans most importantly, will get the best version of me going forward. That’s what I know and I’m excited about that. But I wanted to just address this and thank you for your patience in dealing with a private and personal matter.”
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