MIKE VRABEL ADDRESSED ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM WITH PLAYERS AFTER DIANNA ROSSSINI SCANDAL

Mike Vrabel reportedly did a 'great job' addressing the scandal involving himself and Dianna Russini, according to New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry

Mike Vrabel addressed the New England Patriots locker room following the scandal involving himself and Dianna Russini(Image: Getty Images)

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry believes Mike Vrabel did "a great job" addressing their locker room following the drama surrounding himself and Dianna Russini. 

Vrabel and Russini, who are both married, have been the talk of the NFL offseason after the pair were spotted together at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona, earlier this month. Since those photos leaked, more have emerged of them together, the earliest dating back to 2020 in a New York bar, where they were pictured kissing.

The fallout of the initial photos saw Russini resign from her job with the Athletic, something for which Vrabel reportedly feels remorseful. Meanwhile, Vrabel said last week he was entering counseling after bizarrely giving two press conferences on the same day ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The first of the two press conferences Vrabel held ahead of the NFL Draft was intended to prevent Patriots players from being asked about the drama surrounding him and Russini before he could address it publicly.

During the press conference, Vrabel admitted he did not meet the standard he holds himself to. "My previous actions don’t meet the standard that I hold myself to. They don’t,” said Vrabel.

"And what I believe is best for the two most important things in my life, my family and this football team, is for us to take the necessary steps to work together, and to give them what I told them I’d give them, which is the best version of me. That’s what we’re going to do."

While he was away from the team on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, he returned to work Monday for OTAs.

According to Patriots star Henry, Vrabel did "a great job" of addressing the elephant in the room when he spoke to his players amid the offseason drama.

"I thought he did a great job," said Henry of Vrabel, talking to his team. "It's been the same Vrabes, bringing a lot of energy into the room, so yeah, obviously he addressed it, and that's kind of all I'll say about it.

The NFL offseason has been dominated by the scandal involving Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel(Image: YouTube (@TAScoopCity))

He added of the potential for offseason distractions in the wake of the Vrabel-Russini drama, "I think everybody is focused on ... the task we have at hand right now. Right now, that's working out, coming together as a team. Focussed on the meetings, trying to get better, learn from what we did last year and try to improve on some of the things we did not do well."

Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane, who was a team captain last season, meanwhile, refused to be drawn on the situation surrounding Vrabel.

"Coach coaches football and he keeps the main thing, the main thing," Spillane said. "I know he’s dealing with personal issues, but when we’re in the building, we speak football.

Spillane added, "I love coach and I'm going to be here to support him as he would be there to support me through anything. I'm just a player and I'm trying to do that the best I can."

- Oscar Maung-Haley

MIKE VRABEL MAKES NFL DRAFT DECISION AFTER PATRIOTS PROMISE AMID DIANNA ROSSINI SCANDAL

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has confirmed he will be missing the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft to enter counseling amidst the scandal involving himself and Dianna Russini

Mike Vrabel recently addressed reporters following the scandal involving himself and Dianna Russini(Image: Getty Images)

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel will not be with the team on the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft, after he confirmed he would begin counseling this weekend.

While the 2026 draft is set to begin on Thursday night, the NFL headlines continue to be dominated by the fallout of the scandal involving Vrabel and former Athletic insider Dianna Russini after the pair were pictured together at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona.

Both Vrabel and Russini, who resigned from her role with the Athletic, denied any wrongdoing. However, new photos of the pair dining together have since emerged, contradicting their initial denials. Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, Vrabel met with media to speak with reporters, admitting he had held some "difficult conversations."

Heading into the draft in Pittsburgh, Vrabel has also confirmed he will not be with the Patriots on Saturday, the third and final day, after he said he would be entering counseling this weekend.

"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.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was seen with a top NFL reporter(Image: Getty)

"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."

Vrabel also confirmed that he had spoken to Patriots players earlier this week after they arrived for the start of New England's offseason program.

Two players had been scheduled to speak to reporters on Tuesday, but Vrabel said he wanted to speak to the media first.

"We believe in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me," said Vrabel. "That starts with me."

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was seen with a top NFL reporter(Image: Getty)

The Patriots head coach also stressed that he wanted to speak to reporters to address the situation surrounding himself and Russini, adding that he did not want to take attention away from the NFL Draft.

And he also added that he needed to enter counseling to become "a better person".

"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," continued Vrabel.

"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."

- Oscar Maung-Haley

DIANNA RUSSINI'S OWN HUSBAND RUINED HER LIFE ON PURPOSE (DETAILS)

 

Dianna Russini unexpectedly became the talk of the 2026 NFL off-season when photos of her and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel were leaked to the public.  The photos depicted the two, who are both married, holding hands spending time in the hot tub together.  To see an active NFL head coach being intimate with a lead reporter from The Athletic obviously blew up headlines across the country.

However, the person behind the photo leak was reportedly Dianna Russini’s own husband.

Dianna Russini’s Husband Reportedly Hired PI For Hotel Trip

There was initial speculation that a fan encountered Dianna and Mike at the Arizona hotel, took their pictures and shared them with the internet; however, the angles and clarity of the zoomed images led sources to believe that the photos were taken by a professional, specifically a private investigator.

According to Jared Stillman, a prominent sports radio personality, Dianna Goldschmidt’s husband, Kevin Goldschmidt hired a PI and leaked the pictures:

Jared also shared the reason why he thinks so. According to him, it was a revenge move by Kevin against Dianna, with no financial motive. He mentioned Kevin is very affluent and wouldn’t aim to get money by putting a PI to spy on his wife.

That left Jared with the other most probable motive, i.e., defaming Dianna and paving the way for a spear campaign against her.  shared that if Dianna’s husband actually plotted the entire PI thing with vindictive thoughts, then he had succeeded in it, as the alleged affair with Mark Vrabel “probably ruined her career.”

The Game 102.5-FM host felt Kevin had “done a really good job” in executing the plan. His exact words were:

“…vindictive. And if that’s what the husband’s doing…bravo because he has absolutely tanked Dianna’s career. If the husband did hire the PI and if this is not about money then that means that the PI and the leaking of the pictures was all to smear Dianna’s name. And in this case, you’ve done a really good job of it. And it has probably ruined her career.”

It has been speculated that Dianna Russini’s husband turned vengeful towards her following her alleged public statements regarding her husband.

According to Jared, Dianna’s remarks demonstrate how little respect she has for Kevin. Additionally, he argued that the Mike Vrabel affair angle would give Kevin an advantage if the couple divorced. Her occasional jokes about their infidelity, disagreements, and other issues have fuelled the divorce buzz for quite some time.

- McQuade Arnold

 

NFL REPORTER BRUTALLY FIRED OVER DIANNA ROSSINI RESIGNATION COMMENTS

USA Today Sports parted ways with NFL writer Crissy Froyd on Thursday after she criticized Dianna Russini, following the recent media storm as she was pictured with Mike Vrabel

Crissy Froyd has been let go from her USA Today Sports role after criticizing Dianna Russini(Image: Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Dianna Russini resigned from her role with The Athletic in the aftermath of the Mike Vrabel saga, and now NFL writer Crissy Froyd has lost her job for commenting on the situation

NFL writer Crissy Froyd has doubled down on her criticism of fellow reporter Dianna Russini after being fired from her role with USA Today Sports for comments on social media. Russini announced her resignation from The Athletic after photos of her alongside New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel went viral.

The pair were pictured at an Arizona getaway, and after initially being supported by The Athletic, an investigation then followed before she resigned. The story has gone viral within the sports and media industry, and Froyd celebrated her resignation by calling her a "detriment to women in sports."

Froyd has since been let go by her outlet for the comments, but has no regrets over calling Russini out. After Russini announced her resignation from The Athletic, Froyd wrote on X: "I’m sure you were told to submit this or that you’d get fired instead." Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

"We know who you really are and what you’ve been up to for years. It does so much detriment to women in sports who have done things the right way."

Froyd then issued a statement to the Daily Cellar, claiming that allegations made toward Russini and Vrabel were "certainly true," also claiming that it's well-known within the industry. "All of us do know what she’s been up to," she said.

Froyd claimed that Russini was detrimental to women in sports(Image: Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"From fights with other reporters in Chili’s parking lots about hooking up with married NFL coaches to everything else, it is almost certainly all true. It was the worst-kept secret in the NFL reporting world for a while."

Froyd also admitted that she was given an opportunity to be guided by Russini, but refused. "Because I knew what she was about and her track record," she claimed.

The comments against Froyd prompted USA Today Sports to issue a statement confirming that it had cut ties with the NFL writer. "Her recent statements do not reflect our commitment to professionalism or uphold our principles of ethical conduct," USA Today spokesperson Lark-Marie Anton said.

Froyd posted her own statement on X, but made it clear that she stood by her comments and encouraged others to speak out when necessary. "I would like to acknowledge the statements put out about me recently and that I am also no longer with USA TODAY SMG," she wrote.

"I regret zero of what I said and stand beside it. If you want to talk, my messages are open. My email is operative, too.

"I feel I've been very transparent and did nothing wrong. I also find it so interesting that a Nancy Armour column was able to be published about Dianna Russini setting women back on USAT, but that my comments as a freelancer on my own social media about her were not fine.

"Be bold and speak out. Will it make a martyr out of you? Maybe. But some things are worth it and some are not. This was."

- Joseph McBride