As the offseason continues to progress, the biggest story in the NFL has been the Mike Vrabel scandal. Coming into the limelight on social media, it has been constantly developing, with fans and internet sleuths continuing to connect the dots.
As a result, there have been some consequences for the head coach of the New England Patriots. However, according to one analyst, the scandal is starting to reach a fever pitch and could lead to the veteran losing his role with the organization.
Days Might Be Numbered for Mike Vrabel
Spending 14 years in the league as a linebacker, Vrabel won three Super Bowls and was named to the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams in 2007. Immediately after his playing career ended, he took over as the linebackers coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
It wasn’t long before he took on a head coaching job, coming to the NFL with the Tennessee Titans. However, after back-to-back disappointing years, he was fired from his role at the end of the 2023 season.
He would remain in a consulting role with the Cleveland Browns for another season before the Patriots hired him in 2025. Almost immediately, a shift was noticeable in the franchise. After winning four games in 2024, they took a massive leap last year.
Winning 14 games, Drake Maye finished as a finalist for the MVP Award. That success translated to the playoffs as well, as they made it to the Super Bowl before bowing out to the Seattle Seahawks.
However, since then, Vrabel’s alleged affair with Dianna Russini of The Athletic has continually made the headlines. Now, Emmy Award-winning Brandon Tierney has come out to make some bold arguments against the two-time Coach of the Year.
“Mike Vrabel can’t coach the Pats anymore. He’s got to resign, man. He absolutely has to resign,” he exclaimed, before explaining his rationale against what he believed was the “final nail in the coffin.”
“Yesterday, TMZ had this. So, they rented a boat. This was in June of 2021 in Tennessee.” Calling it “callous,” he carried on. “It’s just dirty. She was in the third trimester of her pregnancy. And later on that month, after the boat rental with Mike Vrabel, she had her first child.”
The problem for Tierney came with Vrabel being in the locker room and the impact it would have on his players. While still trusting his football acumen, there are specific areas where he believes Vrabel might not be able to dictate his locker room.
“When they will care about that is when one of them gets in trouble, and trust me, it’s the NFL, and it’s young athletes, invariably somebody will step out of bounds, whether it’s with the NFL or a team rule, and Mike Vrabel will have to put his foot down and it’s a non-football matter, and that’s where you become compromised.”
MORE: Ex-NFL QB Condemns Mike Vrabel’s Private Meetup With Pregnant Dianna Russini
It remains to be seen if something as dramatic as a head coaching change does come for New England after such a wildly successful season. Already, Vrabel has admitted to stepping away from the Patriots on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft to enter counseling.
Those additional effects could keep adding up against New England and eventually force him or the team to make a decision.
