The New England Patriots “fully support” manager Mike Vrabel and his decision to part ways with the team on the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday, April 25th.
Vrabel told ESPN late Wednesday that he is “committing himself to counseling starting this weekend” amid the controversy involving him and former The Athletic NFL reporter Deanna Russini and the publication of an intimate photo of them in the New York Post.
“The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to put his family first, as well as his own well-being,” the team wrote on Thursday, April 23. “Mike has been open about his determination to be the best version of himself for his family, team and fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to live up to that commitment.”
“We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with our personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. Although he will not be in the facility on Saturday, we know his draft evaluation is complete and Elliott Wolf and his personnel staff are ready to execute the draft as scheduled this weekend.”
The team’s statement comes as the tabloid published more photos early Thursday, which it claims show Vrabel and a woman at a New York City bar more than six years ago. Mr. Vrabel is scheduled to address local media on April 23 at approximately 7:20 p.m. ET.
Mr. Vrabel previously addressed the media on Tuesday, April 21, thanking them for protecting their privacy. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on April 20 that Vrabel is not being investigated for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Vrabel addressed the situation for the first time to reporters at the Patriots’ facility in Foxborough, Mass., on April 21, after issuing a negative statement at the time after the photo from Arizona was first released and saying, “I couldn’t accept a better response.”
“I have had difficult conversations with people who are important to me, including my family, organization, coaches, and players,” Vrabel said in his opening statement.
“They were positive and productive. We believe that to be successful on and off the field, you have to make the right decisions, and that includes me. It starts with me. We never want our actions to have a negative impact on the team. We never want to be a distraction.”
“What I can promise you is that my family, this organization, our team, staff, coaches and most importantly, our fans, will continue to bring the best of me.”
Vrabel said he had a candid conversation with his players as he began the first day of the offseason program, the team’s first formal gathering since losing to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60.
On April 7, the New York Post published photos of married couple Vrabel and Russini embracing on the rooftop and lounging poolside in swimsuits at Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona, ahead of the NFL’s annual league meeting in Phoenix. Another photo showed two fingers intertwined.
Russini resigned from The Athletic, a newspaper owned by The New York Times, on April 14. In a letter to editor-in-chief Stephen Ginsburg, Russini wrote that he stands by all of the articles he has published to date. The company initially publicly supported Mr. Russini before announcing that it would continue to review its standards for his work.
Contributors: Nate Davis and Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
