Mike Vrabel Issues Statement on Intimate Pics with Reporter: 'I've Had Some Difficult Conversations with People I Care About'

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has finally broken his silence two weeks after intimate pictures of him canoodling with then-NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an exclusive Arizona resort were published by the New York Post.

Both Russini and Vrabel are married to other people.

Vrabel was kept from the cameras and microphones amid the fallout from the pics. However, with the 2026 NFL Draft set to begin Wednesday night, the coach stepped behind the podium Tuesday to address the pictures that rocked the sports world and led to Russini’s resignation from The Athletic last week.

“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players. Those have been positive and productive,” the New England Patriots coach told reporters at Gillette Stadium.

“We believe that 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.”

Vrabel apologized for not addressing the issue earlier.

“Those are comments and questions that I’ve answered for the team and with the team, and we’ll keep those private and to ourselves. I care deeply about this football team, and I’m excited to coach them,” Vrabel said. “I also know that I’m going to attack each day with humility and focus. And what I can promise you is that my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, everybody, our fans, most importantly, will get the best version of me going forward. And that’s what I know. I’m excited to do that, but I wanted to just address this and thank you for dealing with a private and personal matter.”

Vrabel, the former Super Bowl champ-turned head coach, was caught by cameras with The Athletic’s NFL reporter Diana Russini in a hot tub at an exclusive Arizona resort last month, according to Page Six.

Russini posted her resignation from The Athletic last week, after the outlet’s investigation into the pictures revealed troubling details about her relationship with Vrabel.

The NFL has maintained that Vrabel will not face an investigation for his role in the affair.