The New England Patriots are facing an unexpected off-field controversy after photos surfaced showing head coach Mike Vrabel spending time with New York Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a luxury resort in Sedona, Arizona.
The images, first published by Page Six, show the pair embracing, holding hands, and standing together on the rooftop of a private bungalow at Ambiente Sedona, an adults-only retreat known for romantic getaways, honeymoons, and proposals.
According to the report, Vrabel and Russini were spotted at the resort on March 28 after sharing breakfast on a patio around 10:30 a.m. They later spent more than an hour near the pool and hot tub before being photographed again that evening, watching the sunset from the roof of a private bungalow.
Witnesses told the outlet that the pair appeared to be alone for most of the day, though both Vrabel and Russini insist they were with a larger group.
Vrabel is one of the NFL’s most recognizable coaches, having taken over the Patriots in early 2025 and quickly leading the franchise back to the Super Bowl.
Russini, meanwhile, has become one of the most prominent insiders in football media. After years at ESPN, she joined The Athletic and the New York Times in 2023, where she now serves as a senior NFL insider and hosts the podcast "Scoop City: Inside the NFL."
Vrabel traveled to Sedona immediately after attending a scouting event at Arizona State and then headed to Phoenix for the NFL Competition Committee meetings, where Russini was also covering league business for The Athletic. Just days later, Russini co-authored a report from those meetings.
Both parties pushed back strongly against the speculation. In a statement to the New York Post, Vrabel said, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Russini offered a similar explanation, saying, “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic, also defended Russini, calling the images “misleading” and saying they lacked “essential context.”
Russini began covering the Tennessee Titans for ESPN in 2018, the same year Vrabel became the team’s head coach. That professional relationship continued after Vrabel arrived in New England.
Russini has dealt with similar accusations before. In 2015, after she reported that Kirk Cousins would replace Robert Griffin III as Washington’s starting quarterback, Jessica McCloughan, the wife of then-Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan, publicly accused Russini of having a sexual relationship with her husband.
Jessica later deleted the post and apologized, calling her remarks “unfounded and inappropriate.”
ESPN also defended Russini at the time, saying she “should never have to be subjected to such vulgar comments.”
Neither the Patriots nor the NFL has commented publicly on the situation.
