New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel will miss the final day of the NFL draft after confirming he will undergo counseling in the wake of photos emerging of himself and reporter Dianna Russini.
Earlier this month, on April 7, the New York Post published pictures of Vrabel and Russini, who are married to other people, together at the Ambiente hotel in Arizona on March 28.
They showed the two holding hands, embracing and sitting in a pool and a hot tub.
Vrabel initially downplayed the situation. "These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable," he told Page Six. "This doesn't deserve any further response."
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Russini, who was the senior NFL insider for The Athletic before her resignation on April 14, also commented, saying the photographs didn't "represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day".
On Tuesday (April 21), Vrabel issued a brief statement on the photos taken of him and Russini.
"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," he told reporters at Gillette Stadium.
"We believe that in order to be successful on and off the field you have to make good decisions. That includes me, that starts we me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction."
Mike Vrabel to miss final day of NFL draft for counseling
On Wednesday, Vrabel announced that he will seek counseling and will be absent from the final day of the NFL Draft on Saturday.
"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," he said, as per ESPN.
"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 will remain in contact with the Patriots on Saturday, but executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden are expected to lead the draft room.
Newly surfaced photos emerge of Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini at NYC bar
On Thursday, the New York Post uploaded pictures of Vrabel and Russini at a secluded bar in New York City that were reportedly taken in the early hours of March 11, 2020.
An alleged eyewitness told the publication: “They were kissing and they were all over each other. He had a ring on.”
“They were having a glorious time. They were [giving each other] pecks, a bunch of pecks, constantly,” the eyewitness added. “There was nobody in there. Nobody knew who they were. I don’t even think the bartenders did.”
Topics: NFL
Jack Kenmare