FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots leadership announced Thursday their backing of head coach Mike Vrabel’s choice to absent himself from Saturday’s draft activities while he pursues professional counseling, following recent publication of images showing him with veteran NFL journalist Dianna Russini at an Arizona vacation destination.
In an official statement issued before Thursday’s opening draft round, the organization declared: “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 franchise expressed continued confidence in their draft preparation, stating: “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.”
During a press briefing earlier this week, Vrabel acknowledged having “difficult conversations with people I care about,” referencing discussions with family members, coaching personnel, team leadership and players after the photographs became public through New York Post reporting.
According to the Post’s account, the images of Vrabel and Russini were captured in Sedona prior to the annual NFL meetings that commenced in Phoenix on March 29. League officials have indicated no formal investigation into Vrabel’s conduct is underway. Both Vrabel and Russini are married individuals. Russini departed her position at The Athletic last week.
Vrabel announced his intention to step away from Saturday’s draft proceedings in a Wednesday evening statement.
New England enters the draft weekend with 11 total selections available. This includes their lone first-round choice at No. 31 on Thursday night, plus single picks in both the second and third rounds scheduled for Friday.
The majority of their draft activity will occur Saturday during Vrabel’s absence, with the team holding two fourth-round selections, one fifth-round pick, four sixth-round choices and one seventh-round selection.
