Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Addresses New Page Six Article About Him and NFL Reporter Dianna Russini

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the media Thursday amid the latest news ahead of the 2026 NFL draft.

After photos were published of him and NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an adults-only hotel in Arizona earlier this month, a new set of photos from 2020 were published on Thursday on Page Six.

Vrabel will not be with the team on Saturday during the third day of the NFL draft, as first reported by ESPN's Mike Reiss on Wednesday.

According to Reiss, Vrabel plans to be with his family outside of Massachusetts over the weekend. The coach told reporters Thursday he could be away from the team for longer.

"I'm confident if I weren't able to be here that we have people in place to support that and do those things," he said.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was also asked about the situation on Thursday before the NFL draft, but noted it was not a league matter.

"This is not a personal conduct policy, as we know today," Goodell told Mike Greenberg of ESPN (h/t Chad Graff of The Athletic). "It's a personal matter, and we'll leave it at that."

Vrabel also told Reiss that he plans to seek counseling.

"As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend," Vrabel said. "This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.

"I have always wanted to lead by example and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result."

"The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel's decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being," the team said in a statement. "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.

"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."

Vrabel, who was named the NFL's Coach of the Year in 2025, addressed the media on Tuesday for the first time since the photos were published.

"I've had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, my family, the organization, coaches and players," Vrabel told reporters. "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."

"I care deeply about this football team and I'm excited to coach them," Vrabel added. "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."

Russini resigned from her role at The Athletic in a letter sent to executive editor Steven Ginsberg, per Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press.

Rounds 4-7 of the NFL draft will take place on Saturday. The Patriots hold eight picks on Saturday, including four in the sixth round.