Mike Vrabel addresses photos with reporter: 'I've had some difficult conversations with people I care about'

Vrabel finally broke his silence after he was seen hugging and holding hands with an NFL reporter

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel brought unwanted attention to the organization this offseason, when the New York Post's Page Six posted photos where he was seen hugging and holding hands with NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a luxury hotel in Sedona, Arizona. Vrabel issued a statement saying that the photos show "a completely innocent interaction," but the story went viral. 

Vrabel finally publicly addressed the matter during a press conference on Tuesday. He thanked reporters for their patience as he went through what he described as a "personal and private matter." Vrabel said he understood he could have addressed the matter sooner, but wanted to speak with his players before they spoke with reporters. Vrabel said he spoke with his team "very candidly," and doesn't want to take away from the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night. With that being said, Vrabel appeared to apologize for making headlines off the field. 

"I've had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players," Vrabel said. "Those have been positive and productive. We believe in order to be successful on and off the field you have to make good decisions. That includes me, that starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team, we never want to be the cause of a distraction. 

"[There are] comments and questions that I've answered for the team and with the team and we'll keep those private and 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 that my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, everybody, our fans most importantly, will get the best version of me going forward. And that's what I know, and I'm excited to do that. But I wanted to just address this and thank you for your patience in dealing with a private and personal matter."

Full statement from Mike Vrabel @newftbj pic.twitter.com/kXJodtUIce

— Kevin J. Stone (@kstone06) April 21, 2026

Vrabel and Russini are both married to other people. The photos published by Page Six showed Vrabel and Russini together at a pool, and on a rooftop bungalow. There was one image that showed the two hugging, and another of them interlocking fingers. Both parties denied any nefarious activity.

"The photos don't represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day," Russini said in a statement to Page Six. "Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues."

Russini resigned from The Athletic on April 14, in the midst of an internal investigation launched by the outlet. 

An NFL spokesperson told ESPN that the league would not be opening up an investigation into Vrabel as part of the league's personal conduct policy. Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf also told reporters recently that it's been "business as usual," regarding Vrabel's contributions to draft preparation.