FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Tuesday that he has had “difficult conversations with people I care about,” including his family, his coaching staff, team officials and players, following the publication of photographs from coach and longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort.
“These conversations were positive and productive. To be successful both on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me,” Vrabel said, making an unscheduled statement from the podium at the team facility on the second day of the offseason training program.
The photos were of Vrabel and Russini at a Sedona resort and were taken before the annual NFL meetings that began March 29 in Phoenix, according to the New York Post. published the photos earlier this month.
A Patriots spokesperson said there are no plans for other team officials to address the issue further.
The NFL said last weekend that this is the case does not investigate Vrabel’s behavior. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday that the league is not investigating the matter.
Vrabel and Russini, who are both married, released written statements to the Post after the story’s publication downplaying what the photos depict. But Rusini has resigned from The Athletic less than a week later, after the Post’s report prompted an internal investigation at The New York Times sporting goods store.
Vrabel said he addressed players about the issue on Monday after they arrived for the start of the voluntary training program. Two Patriots players were scheduled to be made available to reporters on Tuesday, but Vrabel said he wanted to speak before they did. He also said he didn’t want the interest in the post photos to distract from the NFL draftwhich starts on Thursday.
Vrabel said any conversations he had with team officials would remain private.
“We never want our actions to have a negative effect on the team. We never want to be the cause of distraction,” he said. “There are comments and questions that I have answered with the team and we will keep them private.”
Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where she served in a variety of roles, including “SportsCenter” anchor, NFL analyst and insider. She hosted a podcast for The Athletic and was featured on their video platform.
Until his appearance Tuesday, Vrabel had not spoken to reporters in a news conference since the owners’ meetings.
Last year, before his first season as Patriots coach, he spoke to reporters as part of the lead-up to the NFL draft. He chose not to do that last weekwith only Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf speaking at that April 13 press conference.
“Very involved. Business as usual,” Wolf said when asked how much Vrabel had been involved in the team’s draft process. “I would say he’s probably been with us a little bit more this round than he was last year. … He’s been there. He’s contributed. He’s watched a lot of players.”
Vrabel, 50, won three Super Bowls as a player with New England. He is preparing for his second season as coach of the Patriots. He led the team to a 14-3 finish last season, which ended with a Super Bowl loss to Seattle.
Vrabel said his focus going forward is football.
“I care deeply about this football team and am happy to coach them. I also know that I will attack with humility and focus every day,” he said. “What I can promise you is that my family, this organization, the team, the staff, coaches and our fans, most importantly, will get the best version of me going forward. That’s what I know and I’m excited to do that.”
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