The New England Patriots will finish the 2026 NFL Draft without head coach Mike Vrabel, who said Wednesday he is seeking counseling after photos surfaced of him with former The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort. Vrabel will not be present with the Patriots on Day 3 of the 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. "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," he continued. "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."
Vrabel, who is married with two sons, publicly addressed the situation for the first time on Tuesday, noting that he did not want to take away from the team during the draft. He called the situation involving Russini is a “private matter” and acknowledged having “some difficult conversations with people that I care about.”
"We believe in order to be successful on and off the field that we have to make good decisions. That includes me, that starts with me," Vrabel said in his statement Tuesday. "We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction. Those are comments and questions that I've answered for the team, and with the team."
Before making his first public comments on the situation, Vrabel made sure to address his Patriots players. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer wrote Tuesday that Vrabel apologized to the players for bringing unwanted attention to the team and vowed to do what he could to put the focus back on the players. Per Breer, Vrabel “came off as genuine and remorseful.”
Photos of Vrabel and Russini at a luxury resort in Sedona, Arizona, surfaced on April 7. The Athleticsubsequently opened an investigation into Russini’s conduct, and she resigned several days later.
Vrabel plans to be in the draft room for the first two days before stepping away on Saturday, during rounds 4-7 of the draft. He will still be in contact with the Patriots, but executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden will lead the draft room.
New England holds 11 selections this weekend, including the No. 31 pick.
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RYAN PHILLIPS
Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.
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