The controversy between New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and former The Athletic senior insider Dianna Russini continues to unfold. Page Six first shared photos of them in Arizona, and since then, they have faced constant questions about it.
Unfortunately, some speculate that this issue can lead to the demise of Vrabel’s promising stint in New England. Russini has already resigned from The Athletic, and Vrabel might follow suit.
Patriots Might Need to Find a Successor for Mike Vrabel
Greg A. Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal wrote in his April 23 column about Vrabel’s decision to skip the third day of the NFL Draft:
“At the time, there were three possibilities about the change: 1) he withheld his true intended actions from the team and the media, 2) his family did not want to wait to come to a resolution, or 3) another story was going to break, and Vrabel attempted to get ahead of it, like a celebrity announcing they were checking in to rehab.”
Bedard opined after the Patriots announced that Vrabel wouldn’t be present during Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, he was “committed to seek counseling.” Bedard found the decision puzzling because the head coach had already addressed the issue in an earlier press conference.
Bedard’s thoughts about this saga led Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post to post a portion of the lengthy opinion. The beat writer for the Miami Dolphins posted, “Everything is now open to question. Will Vrabel be the Patriots’ coach for the ’26 season? Will he be fired? Will he resign? Will he take a sabbatical with an interim head coach?”
The franchise’s good momentum could shatter if the Vrabel-Russini controversy leads to the former’s resignation. Last season, Vrabel coached the Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance since 2018. Likewise, their 14-3 regular-season record was their best since 2016, when they went 14-2.
Meanwhile, Pro Football and Sports Network’s CEO Matt Cannata wrote on X: “As someone who used to work in public relations and often dealt with crisis communications, I see this whole Russini-Vrabel affair resulting in Vrabel resigning. It is going to be hit after hit after hit, and then there will be one bombshell that makes it all spill over the top.”
It’s entirely possible Vrabel doesn’t survive this if drips keep coming.
I just can’t reconcile that Mike Vrabel could be fired by or would have to hand his resignation to Robert Kraft. If Vrabel is considered unfit to coach in the NFL, Kraft is unfit to own an NFL team. https://t.co/ibNUD5rgcK
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) April 28, 2026
Compounding the issue, just as Vrabel initially addressed this debacle, Page Six shared photos from 2020 of Russini and Vrabel allegedly kissing at a New York bar. Vrabel was already married then, while Russini was six months away from marrying Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt.
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Brian Drake of SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio reacted to Cannata, saying, “I completely agree. I asked a few weeks ago if people thought he’d ever coach again, and they scoffed. I think it’s a very real possibility.”
If Vrabel resigns, the Patriots’ head coaching position will be an enticing job. The next coach has the opportunity to work with 2025 NFL Most Valuable Player runner-up Drake Maye and Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez, among others.
