The 2026 NFL Draft is finally here. The first round officially gets underway tonight, followed by Rounds 2-3 on Day 2 and Rounds 4-7 on Day 3. This is a crazy time of year for anyone working in and around the NFL, but one key figure won’t be with their team on Saturday when they are on the clock.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has announced that he will miss Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft in order to enter counseling amid the Dianna Russini scandal. This news prompted some strong reactions from around the NFL world, as this wildly unique situation just became even more unprecedented.
Mike Vrabel’s Decision to Bail on Day 3 of NFL Draft Sparks Strong Reactions
Vrabel explained his decision to skip Day 3 of the NFL Draft in a quote given to ESPN.
“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel said on Wednesday night. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.
“I have always wanted to lead by example, and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
Vrabel revealed that he will be with his family in outside of Massachusetts during Rounds 4-7 of the draft. This announcement immediately prompted strong reactions from NFL observers.
“This story is now a full-blown PR disaster by the Patriots,” wrote Boston Sports Journal editorial director Greg A. Bedard. “Why now, after he just spoke to the team and the media? Why not do this privately? Is something else coming?”
This story is now a full-blown PR disaster by the Patriots.
Why now, after he just spoke to the team and the media? Why not do this privately? Is something else coming? https://t.co/GIkZjbjsKg— Greg A. Bedard (@GregABedard) April 23, 2026
Bedard isn’t the only one who wondered if more information will be released. For many, this decision raised more questions than answers.
Bobby Burack of Outkick asked: “There has to be more to this story. Why does Vrabel have to attend counseling on a Saturday/the third and final day of draft? Why couldn’t he do it on Monday? If it’s so urgent that he needs an appointment, why is he able to be with the team the first two days of [the] draft?”
Jerry Thornton of Barstool Sports made an astute observation.
“The Patriots have 8 of their 11 picks on Saturday. If the Patriots were a restaurant, this would be like the chef taking Mother’s Day off,” he wrote on X.
While the NFL previously stated that they won’t be investigating Vrabel’s behavior, some wondered if that may change.
“1) Waiting until after midnight to release this article is absolutely hilarious. 2) How in the world is the NFL refusing to investigate this entire situation? 3) Both people are clearly guilty,” Eagles writer Anthony DiBona wrote on X.
1) Waiting until after midnight to release this article is absolutely hilarious.
2) How in the world is the NFL refusing to investigate this entire situation?
3) Both people are clearly guilty. https://t.co/97ZXZqAYfY
— Anthony DiBona (@DiBonaNFL) April 23, 2026
Former NFL scout and current analyst John Middlekauff couldn’t believe the news.
“Patriots have the wildest sh** happen. Can’t make up their stories over the years if you tried,” he wrote.
“It’s 12:30 p.m. ET, they are trying to hide the mess out of this report so that it gets lost in the news that occurs tomorrow morning, with everybody talking about the NFL Draft and the NBA games that end tonight,” former NFL LB Emmanuel Acho said. “This was strategic! This was tactful.”
“Why would he go on [Day 3]? You can’t wait one more day and go the Monday after the draft?” former Pro Bowl WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh asked, before speculating that he may be doing this as a way to show his wife Jen how serious he is about fixing their marriage.
Influencer Carter Donnick blasted the Patriots for how they handled the PR side of this scandal.
“Like personally *I guess* this is probably the best step for his marriage/family so kudos, but media wise they are handling this in absolutely the worst way possible oh my god. Midnight news dump bomb on draft eve after you had a presser yesterday is absolutely diabolical,” he wrote on X.
CBS Sports’ JP Acosta agreed that the timing of the announcement was wild: “This is a crazy thing to drop at 12:15 am the day of the draft.”
Finally, CLNS president John Zannis summed things up by explaining that this just took the Vrabel-Russini scandal to another level.
Patriots fans need to stop trying to wish this story away and recognize that it’s a real thing and a big deal and now it’s pulling Vrabel away from his job. https://t.co/wU7YNHQqOd
— John Zannis (@John_Zannis) April 23, 2026
“Patriots fans need to stop trying to wish this story away and recognize that it’s a real thing and a big deal and now it’s pulling Vrabel away from his job,” he wrote.
It remains to be seen if Vrabel will explain why he needed to start counseling specifically on Saturday, but this situation just keeps getting more and more odd.
On Tuesday, Vrabel addressed the media for the first time since the scandal broke, but he didn’t say much.
“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players. Those have been positive and productive,” Vrabel said
“We believe that in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions,” Vrabel added. “That includes me, that starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction.”
Unfortunately for Vrabel, that ship has sailed, as it’s hard to imagine a bigger distraction than this.
