The National Football League has confirmed it will not conduct an investigation into New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel following the emergence of photographs showing him with sports reporter Diana Russini, according to a league spokesperson speaking with ESPN.
Under the NFL’s personal conduct policy, players, coaching staff, and executives must refrain from “conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League.”
The controversial images were published by the New York Post’s Page Six section on April 8, showing Vrabel and Russini in intimate poses including holding hands and embracing at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona. The timing coincided with the league’s annual meetings held in Phoenix from March 29 through April 1.
Both Vrabel, age 50, and Russini, age 43, are currently married to other people. When contacted by the Post, Vrabel characterized the photographs as “completely innocent,” while Russini argued the images were taken out of context and failed to capture other group members who were present during their gathering.
When ESPN reached out for their Friday story, neither Vrabel nor Russini offered additional statements.
This week, Russini stepped down from her role as a senior NFL correspondent at The Athletic on Tuesday while the publication conducted an internal review of her professional relationship with Vrabel.
The Patriots organization has not responded to ESPN’s inquiry about whether the team plans to conduct its own review of the matter.
Vrabel assumed the head coaching position with the Patriots – his former team as a player – prior to the 2025 season and successfully guided New England to Super Bowl LX, where they fell to the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 29-13.
