Mike Vrabel to seek counseling, miss Day 3 of NFL Draft with Patriots as new photos with Dianna Russini surface
Mike Vrabel won't be with the New England Patriots for Day 3 of the NFL Draft on Saturday because he's seeking counseling, the team confirmed Thursday. The new development, first reported by ESPN, came hours before the New York Post published a new round of controversial photos of the Patriots head coach with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.
The Post published the pictures Thursday afternoon, claiming the two were caught on camera together at a New York City bar on March 11, 2020, when Vrabel was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans and Russini worked at ESPN.
These photos were revealed 16 days after the newspaper posted pictures of them together at a resort in Arizona last month. Vrabel and Russini are married to other people.
Vrabel held a news conference Thursday night, saying his past behavior did not live up to his standards.
The NFL Draft started Thursday night with the Patriots choosing offensive tackle Caleb Lomu from the Utah Utes. When Vrabel leaves during Day 3 on Saturday, the Patriots will have eight selections to make.
Later Wednesday night, he told ESPN's Mike Reiss that he would not be with the team Saturday for the third day 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 late Wednesday night, before the new photos surfaced. "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."
According to Reiss, Vrabel, who has two sons with his wife, Jen, plans to be with his family this weekend outside of Massachusetts. The coach told ESPN he'll be in contact with the Patriots during the draft Saturday.
New England Patriots statement
The Patriots issued a statement Thursday afternoon.
"The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel's decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being. Mike has been open with us about his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that commitment," the team said. "We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with our personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. While he will not be present at the facility on Saturday, we know the draft evaluations are complete and Eliot Wolf and his personnel staff are prepared to execute our draft as planned this weekend."
Mike Vrabel Dianna Russini photos
The controversy started on April 7, when the Post published photos of Vrabel and Russini together at the Ambiente hotel in Sedona, Arizona on Saturday, March 28.
The pictures showed them holding hands, embracing and sitting in a pool and a hot tub. They each released statements to the newspaper downplaying the photos.
Vrabel told the Post at the time, "These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn't deserve any further response."
Russini resigned from the Athletic a week later.
"I do so 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," the longtime NFL reporter wrote in her resignation letter on April 14.
The Post published more pictures of Vrabel and Russini, reportedly taken on March 28 in Arizona, on Wednesday.
The NFL said it's not investigating Vrabel's behavior.
Vrabel addressed the matter for the first time in public Tuesday with a brief statement to reporters at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. He didn't mention Russini or the photos.
"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," Vrabel said.
He apologized for not addressing the situation earlier but added that he wanted to speak to the team first. The Patriots held their first day of voluntary organized team activities on Monday.
Crisis communications expert Evan Nierman, CEO of Red Banyan, said the response to the situation may have made matters worse.
"Denials only work if they're true and you can show that they're true. And one of the saddest things was they both delivered this blanket denial, and then it unraveled literally within hours," Nierman said.
He added that transparency from the outset could have helped contain the fallout.
"From day one, this has been a crisis that was made infinitely worse by the mishandling of both Vrabel and Russini," Neirman said. "They've either gotten bad advice or they've followed their instincts from day one. And I would argue that when it comes to crisis communications, they've completely fumbled the play. And they're, they're, I can only hope that his football playbook is much stronger than his PR playbook."
NFL Draft time
The NFL Draft starts at 8 p.m. Thursday in Pittsburgh. The Patriots are scheduled to pick at number 31, which is estimated to be sometime around 10:30 p.m. if they don't trade the pick. Rounds two and three are Friday, with the Patriots scheduled to pick at 63 and 95, respectively.
Rounds four through seven, which Vrabel will miss, will be held Saturday. The Patriots currently have two fourth round picks, one in the fifth round, four picks in the sixth round and one in the seventh.