Mike Vrabel is finally speaking publicly about the Dianna Russini scandal — and after two weeks of silence, the New England Patriots coach says the fallout has reached far beyond football.
During a press conference on Tuesday, April 21, Vrabel addressed photos showing him with the former reporter for The Athletic at a luxury resort in Arizona.
The Patriots coach said he waited to speak because he first wanted to talk with his players. Once he did, he admitted the situation had forced him into “difficult conversations” with the people closest to him.
“Thank you for your patience that you’ve shown in a personal and private matter for me and obviously everybody involved,” Vrabel told reporters, according to People. “I’ve had some difficult conversations with people I care about — with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players.”
He said those conversations had been “positive and productive,” but acknowledged that he had created a distraction for the team.
Vrabel also appeared to back away from the defiant tone he struck when the story first broke. Earlier this month, after Page Six published photos of him and Russini holding hands, hugging, sitting together in a hot tub, and spending time on the rooftop of a private bungalow at Ambiente Sedona, Vrabel dismissed the uproar outright.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” he said at the time. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Now, the Patriots coach is taking a different approach. Without directly discussing the nature of his relationship with Russini, Vrabel said he understands that his actions had consequences.
“In order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me,” he said. “We never want our actions to negatively affect the team, never want to be the cause of distraction.”
Vrabel spoke just days before the NFL Draft and one day after the league confirmed that he will not face any discipline under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
While Vrabel remains in charge of the Patriots and says he is focused on “the best version” of himself going forward, the women caught up in the fallout have paid a much steeper price.
USA TODAY said Froyd’s comments did not reflect the company’s ethical standards.
Vrabel closed Tuesday’s press conference by insisting he is ready to move on. “I know I’m going to attack each day with humility and focus,” he said. “You’re going to get the best version of me going forward.”
