NFL ‘Not Reviewing' Mike Vrabel's Conduct Over Dianna Russini Photos
We still don’t know what actually happened between NFL insider Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who were photographed together at the Ambiente resort in Sedona, Arizona, on March 28.
Page Six published the photos on April 7 and suggested that Russini and Vrabel were seen hugging and holding hands. Russini and Vrabel issued statements to Page Six, unequivocally denying that anything inappropriate took place.
The Athletic initially publicly backed Russini, but the New York Times-owned publication later initiated an internal investigation into the Russini-Vrabel photos and Russini’s NFL coverage overall.
Russini resigned from The Athletic on April 14 and maintained that nothing untoward happened between her and Vrabel. Russini has been married to Kevin Goldschmidt since 2020, and Vrabel has been married to Jen Vrabel since 1999.
On Friday, ESPN’s Ben Strauss published a report about the fallout, and while Russini’s career is in ruins, it will be business as usual for Vrabel.
“NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league is not reviewing Vrabel’s behavior as part of the league’s personal conduct policy, which states players, coaches, and executives are required to avoid ‘conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League,” Strauss relayed.
“A spokesman for the Patriots did not respond to a question about whether it would review Vrabel’s relationship with Russini.”
Strauss also reported that executives at The Athletic asked Russini to provide text messages or screenshots showing proof that she had been on a hiking trip with friends, as she originally claimed, but “Russini never provided sufficient evidence.” Again, what actually occurred between Russini and Vrabel remains publicly unknown.
In August 2023, Russini left ESPN after eight years to be The Athletic’s lead NFL insider.
The Patriots hired Vrabel as head coach in January 2025. In his first season, he led New England to an improbable 14-3 record and run to Super Bowl LX, where the Seattle Seahawks pummeled them 29-13. Vrabel was named AP Coach of the Year.
Last week, Vrabel did not participate in the Patriots’ pre-draft press conference as he normally would have, leaving Patriots vice president of personnel Eliot Wolf to handle it. It’s unclear whether Vrabel will be made available to the media during or after the 2026 NFL Draft next weekend.
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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 4:10 PM.