The Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini controversy shows no signs of slowing down, with new clips continuing to surface. The New England Patriots head coach has faced backlash both personally and publicly, but one person who has stood by his side throughout the controversy is former teammate Asante Samuel.
Asante Samuel Believes Mike Vrabel Has To Put His “Side Chicks” On Pause
The alleged affair between Russini and Vrabel came to light in April when Page Six shared a series of photos showing the duo holding hands at an adults-only resort in Sedona, and also photos from 2020 in a New York City bar during Vrabel’s time as head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
Both Vrabel and Russini were married at the time, and while neither has directly addressed the cheating allegations, the Patriots head coach appeared to admit guilt by seeking counseling.
Amid the criticism, Samuel has continued to support his former teammate throughout the controversy. In what appeared to be an attempt to provide context around the situation, Samuel wrote on X Thursday night:
“When I had a wife and side chick. The side piece got in her feelings, called the wife, told her everything Got that call at work, we need to talk. Scary!!!!!! Me: She lying baby…”
Speaking earlier on his podcast, “Say What Needs To Be Said”, Samuel called Vrabel a brother and urged him to keep the “side chicks” on pause for now.
“NFL has my brother, head coach and Super Bowl runner-up Mike Vrabel in the chokehold,” Samuel said. “He was forced to submit to being guilty of living the life he created. Every man deserves a wife and a girlfriend… Now I know it sounds crazy because you know, it sounds like you are cheating and there’s infidelity… Now the problem with this for the man, now you gotta put your side chicks on pause for a little while because of all the noise that is surrounding him.”
“Hopefully, Mike has had enough fun that he can reminisce about, to keep him occupied for a while, while he has to seek counseling and deals with the HR department of the NFL,” Samuel added.
Samuel and Vrabel played together for the Patriots from 2003 to 2007, helping the team win two Super Bowls while having one undefeated regular season. It’s safe to say Samuel knows Vrabel well, which is why he has continued to defend him amid the controversy and growing questions about leadership.
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“Don’t be a cornball your entire life fam,” Samuel wrote. “Mike Vrabel is a leader of men, period.”
As of now, Vrabel’s job with the Patriots appears to be safe. However, nobody in or around the organization can say with certainty what else might surface between now and the start of the season, and at some point, the noise around their head coach could become too loud to resist.
