Mike Vrabel Had 'Difficult Conversations' with Patriots, Family About His Conduct 'Off the Field'

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spoke to reporters for the first time since photos were published of him and NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an adults-only hotel in Arizona.

"I've had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, my family, the organization, coaches and players," Vrabel said Tuesday. "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 affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction."

Vrabel said he had a conversation with Patriots players on Monday that went "very candidly." He didn't mention Russini by name in his statement or in his answers to follow-up questions. Russini resigned from The Athletic last week in a letter sent to executive editor Steven Ginsberg, per Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press.

"This media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept," Russini wrote in her letter. "Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career."

Vrabel added in his statement that he addressed questions during his meeting with his players.

"There were some comments and questions that I answered for the team and with the team. We'll keep those private and to ourselves," he said. "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. That's what I know and I'm excited to do that."