New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel largely handled himself as well as one could expect in his first OTAs press conference. There was, however, one peculiar answer about the Dianna Russini scandal that lingers.
Vrabel did all he could to turn the page when he addressed the media on May 27 as the defending AFC champions opened up OTAs. The Patriots coach gave a brief update on his personal life after an offseason dominated by an apparent affair with Russini.
That offseason included a brief hiatus, as Vrabel skipped the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft for “counseling.” Asked whether he’d have to step away again before the season starts, Vrabel gave an odd reply.
“I can’t tell you anything other than I’m going to be out there today in full force,” Vrabel told reporters. “So I’m going to focus on today and the excitement that we’ve had and that we’ve built so far.”
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wonders if that means there might be another shoe to drop.
PFT’s Mike Florio Wonders If There’s More to Vrabel-Russini Drama
While Vrabel’s performance at the podium threw a lot of water on the fire, it’s still smoldering, and Florio believes Russini’s side of the story could be a spark that reignites the blaze.
On the May 28 episode of “PFT Live,” Florio explained how Vrabel might not be completely out of the woods yet.
“The one thing that has yet to happen is Dianna Russini has yet to tell her story,” he said to Chris Simms. “We have no idea, there’s no indication, there’s nothing — no leaks, no scoops. The only thing that made me think it’s going to happen is your guy (radio Joe ‘Stugotz’ Weiner) made the comment — he’s friends with her, he’s talked to her, and he’s not going to speak for her, it’s her story to tell in her own time — and that implies she will.
“That’s the moment I said ‘Uh-oh, there’s going to be a chapter of this that’s very public and very interesting because she’s going to tell her story at some point.’ That’s the next thing, that’s the only thing left, and that could come up and that could create a situation where Mike Vrabel could — could — end up yet again, having to take a break from the team to restore the balance between his work life and his personal life.”
Could More Vrabel-Russini Drama Be Coming Soon?
Florio might be onto something, at least as it pertains to reminding everyone that Russini has yet to share her side of the story. But what would it take for Vrabel to feel like he would have to step away once again? That question intensifies as the summer progresses, too. The Patriots have OTAs through the second week of June ahead of minicamp from June 15-17. After that, the team will break until training camp.
Florio isn’t alone in his thinking, either. Longtime Patriots reporter Karen Guregian raised a similar point on MassLive.com.
” … it sure sounds like Vrabel knows he’s not out of the woods just yet. There’s more to come, most likely from Russini finally breaking her silence,” Guregian wrote.
“How that might impact the Patriots coach, his team, or his standing with the team remains to be seen.”
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