New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has dominated the headlines throughout the offseason due to his alleged relationship with NFL reporter Dianna Russini. The scandal came to light after Page Six and TMZ released multiple photos and videos of the two over the last month, and now questions are being raised about the Patriots’ head coach’s future with the team.
Albert Breer Shares Update on Mike Vrabel’s Future With Patriots
Throughout NFL history, no head coach has ever been fired solely for having an affair. Although Vrabel’s scandal involving Russini might threaten his position as Patriots head coach, NFL insider Albert Breer believes it will take more than just gathering evidence for Vrabel to actually be fired.
Breer mentioned on “98.5 The Sports Hub” that the Patriots are currently supporting their head coach despite the controversy.
“I’d say at this point, it’s definitely not in their plans to move on from Mike Vrabel,” he said. “I think if you look at the actions of the Kraft sports… It’s been [about] a month now since the photos came out. Almost everything has been done in an effort to protect his employment — protect his team’s image.”
“If it’s just continued drips and drabs that continue to fill in the blanks of what we already sort of know, then I think the Patriots just ride it out,” Breer added.
Breer believes that despite the scandal, the whole situation will have to get much worse before it affects Vrabel’s career. His success with the Patriots assured him a strong standing in the organization, as Vrabel led them to the playoffs for the first time in four years, in his first season as the head coach in New England.
“What could be worse… I think it would have to almost be more women coming out, or there being some sort of breach of trust within the organization, where Mike Vrabel was serving his relationship over the team in certain ways,” Breer added. “It would have to go to a different level. This story has very clearly crossed over from the rubicon of sports story into celebrity gossip, and I think as we’re all finding out now, that’s a whole different world.”
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According to PFSN’s Offense Metric, the Patriots’ offense posted an impact score of 86.6 last season, ranking second in the league. Similarly, their defense, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric, posted an impact score of 78.2 and ranked 12th in the league. It shows the impact Vrabel has had on the team, and they are expected to improve.
The headlines about Vrabel may continue throughout the season, but as Breer mentioned, until more women come forward about their interactions with the head coach or Russini reports any NFL violations by Vrabel, he is expected to coach the Patriots in their season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
