Mike Vrabel missed the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft amid the scandal involving him and NFL insider Dianna Russini. The New England Patriots coach sought counseling and stated that he needed to be close to his family as a reason for his absence, reappearing at the facility on Monday.
However, it appears that the story won’t go away easily.
Mike Vrabel’s Gift to His Wife After Draft Absence Gets Trolled by NFL World
Vrabel’s absence from such an important event did not go unnoticed. It’s almost unthinkable to believe that a head coach wouldn’t be present with his team during one of the draft days.
Alas, the situation spiraled out of control. Russini also resigned from The Athletic.
Away from the team, Vrabel was spotted in Salt Lake City. The coach was reportedly buying a present for his wife, who’s also suffering from the repercussions of the entire scandal.
The number of pictures of his personal life surprised NFL reporter Mike Freeman:
This dude is now photographed more than the Royals https://t.co/khOVXngdlU
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) April 27, 2026
Another reporter, Glenn Ordway, couldn’t believe how quickly the New York Post found pictures of the coach during his rapid trip to Utah.
Ordway went on to say, “NY Post with more Vrabel pictures and a weekend trip to Utah…But he’s already back in Foxboro? That was quick Looks like they are just following him now wherever he goes.”
NY Post with more Vrabel pictures and a weekend trip to Utah…But he’s already back in Foxboro ? That was quick Looks like they are just following him now wherever he goes https://t.co/qR7Cgzx8sp
— Glenn Ordway (@GlennDOrdway) April 27, 2026
Farzin Vousoughian, a content creator who mainly talks about the Kansas City Chiefs, was also surprised by how quickly the Post obtained images of the head coach.
“Did the New York Post secretly place a tracker on Vrabel?” he asked.
Did the New York Post secretly place a tracker on Vrabel? 🤣 https://t.co/uTb6M81fYL
— Farzin Vousoughian (@Farzin21) April 27, 2026
Jorge Alonso, a writer for Brobible, was skeptical of the article’s nature. “The PR campaign has begun,” wrote Jorge.
The PR campaign has begun. https://t.co/pcy8VDWWYX
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 27, 2026
And finally, Kirsten Fleming, who’s a columnist for the NY Post, took the opportunity to make a joke of the situation.
“How do you make a very public cheating scandal worse on your wife? Buy her a sweatshirt from a store called Hip & Humble,” she said.
how do you make a very public cheating scandal worse on your wife? Buy her a sweatshirt from a store called Hip & Humble. https://t.co/njh1N5dvMh
— Kirsten Fleming (@KirFlem) April 27, 2026
The coach is back in the office, and he’s looking forward to the offseason program.
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The rookie minicamp and the OTAs are all around the corner, and the Patriots just want to see the story go away.
Russini, on the other hand, has not spoken publicly since her resignation statement at The Athletic. She has also deleted her Twitter account.
