New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel continues to deal with the fallout from the story surrounding his purported relationship with NFL insider Dianna Russini. The story evolved from an NFL story to a celebrity gossip one. With both fans and media taking sides, attention switches towards his team, potentially endangering his future in New England. A former NFL wide receiver delivers his take on the coach’s path.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh Believes Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Will Keep His Job
On April 7, Page Six published photos of Vrabel and Russini together at an Arizona resort. Both denied any impropriety. However, there are older photos of the duo allegedly kissing in a New York bar in 2020.
Russini resigned from The Athletic before her contract was set to expire in June. With speculation surrounding Vrabel’s future in New England, former NFL wideout and one-time Pro Bowler T.J. Houshmandzadeh dismissed the notion on the “Speakeasy” show.
“Vrabel ain’t resigning, he not getting fired,” Houshmandzadeh said. “And he shouldn’t, like, he made a mistake, and he betrayed his wife. Outside of that, what did he do? What did he do? Nothing.”
From a coaching standpoint. Houshmandzadeh’s assertion appears correct. Vrabel, apparently, didn’t breach his contract. While the photos show a moral issue, nothing appears to implicate the Patriots. In addition, when the 2020 videos surfaced, Vrabel was not a team employee. Instead, he was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
“It has nothing to do with the game,” Houshmandzadeh continued. “It doesn’t make him less of a coach. It doesn’t make him less of a leader. He made a mistake. He got to answer to his wife and his family. But the football is part of it; he’s a hell of a coach, and all these season ticket holders that was validation.”
Vrabel received a standing ovation from the Patriots’ season-ticker holders this week. While that sample group may not be how the entire fanbase feels, the optics look good enough to justify what Houshmandzadeh said.
Following that, the franchise looks towards the future with Vrabel as the head coach. However, the specter of the incident hung over the team through the latter part of draft season. Worse, Vrabel missed the third day of the NFL draft, choosing to enroll in counseling.
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At the same time, Russini, aside from publishing her resignation letter to the Athletic, remains quiet on social media. If she ever decided to tell her side of the story, the incident would resurface, and questions could start all over again.
The Patriots just won the AFC and reached the Super Bowl, only to lose to the Seattle Seahawks. Until the beginning of this month, people focused on how quarterback Drake Maye was evolving into an elite passer. The offense landed at the No. 2 spot in the PFSN NFL Offense Impact Rankings. Can the narrative shift back to football and not off-field matters?
