Patriots coach Mike Vrabel speaks out after photo scandal with NFL reporter Dianna Russini

U.S. newsPatriots coach Mike Vrabel speaks out after photo scandal with NFL reporter Dianna RussiniPhotos of Vrabel and Russini holding hands prompted rumors about the pair. Russini later resigned from her job at The Athletic amid the fallout. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots on Feb. 25 in Indianapolis.Lauren Leigh Bacho / Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 21, 2026, 2:32 PM EDTBy Rebecca CohenPatriots coach Mike Vrabel said he's had "some difficult conversations" after photos emerged of himself and former Athletic reporter Dianni Russini holding hands.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.At a press conference Tuesday, Vrabel thanked the media for the "patience that you've shown in a personal and private matter," and said he was waiting to address the matter until he was able to speak with the Patriots players, which he said he did on Monday. Vrabel said he has “had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” which he said “have been positive and productive.” He did not disclose details of those conversations and said comments shared with the team and and questions posed by the team will be kept private. “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,” Vrabel continued. “We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of distraction.” Page Six published photos of Vrabel and Russini on April 7 that depicted the pair spending time together at a luxury hotel in Arizona, including two photo showing their hands intertwined as they stood on a rooftop. Other photos show them in a hot tub together. Both Vrabel and Russini are married to other people. On April 8, Russini said the photos were taken out of context, and Athletic Executive Editor...