The Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini saga has dominated the NFL offseason in a way no personal scandal involving a head coach has in years. What began with Page Six publishing photos of the two at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona, escalated into a full-blown media firestorm.
Russini resigned from The Athletic after the outlet launched an investigation into her coverage and her relationship with Vrabel. Vrabel missed the third day of the NFL Draft to seek counseling but is widely expected to remain as New England’s head coach. However, as the league’s schedule announcement draws near in mid-May, which marks the day when NFL teams’ social media accounts target their opponents, the scandal might resurface.
The Chargers Are Expected to Roast Mike Vrabel and the Patriots
No team in the league has built a stronger reputation for schedule-release trolling than the Los Angeles Chargers. Their 2022 anime video mocked former Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coach Urban Meyer, plus a “redacted on advice of our lawyers” graphic for the Deshaun Watson-era Cleveland Browns.
Their 2024 Sims-themed video put Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker in the kitchen following his controversial commencement speech about women belonging at home. Last year’s Minecraft edition roasted Josh Allen and wife Hailee Steinfeld, despite the Buffalo Bills not even being on the Chargers’ schedule.
Los Angeles hosts New England this season, adding a revenge element after the Chargers fell 16-3 to the Patriots in the Wild Card round. According to Front Office Sports, one source familiar with the league’s social media landscape expressed little doubt that the Chargers would reference the scandal.
“The Chargers have the Patriots on their schedule. Even if they didn’t have the Patriots on their schedule, they still might find a way to work it in,” the source told FOS. “The past few years, one of the things that has set the Chargers apart is their ability to take shots at everybody. I mean, what they did with Harrison Butker, where they had him in the kitchen? They hit hard at people in these moments. They do a really good job at it. Once I realized the Chargers are playing the Patriots this year, I would be shocked if they don’t go there.”
NFL insider Albert Breer also echoed that prediction during an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show. He noted the story has crossed over from sports into celebrity gossip territory.
“You’ve seen what the Chargers do every year, right?” Breer said. “It’s like nothing’s out of bounds with the Chargers, right? So, my guess would be they will, and if they don’t, then there’s going to be a story that they didn’t. It’s going to be a story like everybody’s like ‘Did someone tell them to shut up?’ You know what I mean?”
The Chargers aren’t the only potential culprit, as rival fan bases across the league have long resented New England for its six Super Bowl titles and history of controversy.
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Vrabel reviving the franchise in a single season and leading a roster widely considered talent-deficient to a Super Bowl appearance only added fresh motivation. Once the regular season begins, we might see fans in the stadiums making fun of Vrabel.
The schedule release could mark the moment the NFL’s unspoken code of silence around the Vrabel-Russini situation breaks down entirely. It will be interesting to see whether the Chargers, or any team, decides to make fun of a situation that has been the story of this year’s offseason.
