With NFL training camp rapidly approaching in July and the NFL Draft just days away, one would think that most NFL teams would be answering questions about upcoming season expectations, which college standouts they’re looking to draft, and other football-related inquiries.
Given that the New England Patriots are the reigning AFC champions and facing the dreaded “Super Bowl hangover” curse — wherein the losing team in the Super Bowl almost always misses the following season’s playoffs — the franchise seems especially ripe for these sorts of questions.
Only, they’re not coming.
Rather, reporters seem far more interested in the salacious story that has already claimed the career of one reporter — and implicates Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
According to ESPN, on Tuesday, the Patriots held a press conference not to answer any football questions, but to give Vrabel a platform to respond to the scandal that has engulfed the NFL offseason.
For those unaware, on April 7, the New York Post’s Page Six published photos of Vrabel and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini — both married — acting rather intimately together.
New England Patriots’ Mike Vrabel and top NY Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini hold hands and hug at luxury hotel https://t.co/kgk6uoumOU pic.twitter.com/J2dtb6HuyA
— New York Post (@nypost) April 7, 2026
As Fox News noted, at the time, Vrabel waved off the pictures as a total mischaracterization of his and Russini’s relationship.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction, and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Vrabel said shortly after the pictures first became public. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Well, turns out it did require further response — though Vrabel did stop just short of admitting to a full-blown affair:
Full statement from Mike Vrabel @newftbj pic.twitter.com/kXJodtUIce
— Kevin J. Stone (@kstone06) April 21, 2026
“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people I care about — with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” Vrabel said. “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 negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction. There are comments and questions that I’ve answered for the team and with the team. We’ll keep those private.”
When asked if his stance was still that this was “completely innocent” and “laughable,” Vrabel gave something of a non-answer.
“I appreciate the question,” he said. “I’m going to focus on our football team. I think I addressed what I felt like was important.”
While Vrabel seems prepared to just move on in his current post, Russini did no such thing.
Despite initially receiving support from her outlet, about a week after the photos surfaced, Russini had tendered her resignation at The Athletic.
I submitted my letter of resignation to The Athletic. Everything I have to say about it is below. pic.twitter.com/401nrtbEsj
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 14, 2026
“Over a career spanning more than fifteen years in sports journalism — at NBC, ESPN, and The Athletic — I have built a body of work I am proud of,” Russini said in her defense. “I have broken stories, earned the trust of sources across the league, and been guided by the highest standards of professional conduct.”
“That record speaks for itself.”
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