After his questionable pictures with the former The Athletic correspondent Dianna Russini were leaked, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel announced his decision to take a leave during the upcoming NFL draft. Vrabel and Russini were seen together at the Ambiente resort in Sedona, Arizona, before the NFL annual meeting in Phoenix. Since then, during a media interaction on April 22, Vrabel revealed his decision, citing family reasons.

“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 give them. To do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel said Wednesday night, 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 were counseling them.”

On Tuesday, Vrabel first addressed the media since the New York Post published photos that appeared to show the coach embracing and holding hands with Dianna Russini at a resort in Arizona.

He told reporters that the incident was a “personal and private matter” and shared that he had “some difficult conversations with people I care about”—his family, the Patriots, the coaching staff, and the players.

Vrabel has two sons with his wife, Jen, and plans to be with his family this weekend outside of Massachusetts, as he will miss the NFL Draft on Saturday. He also revealed he will be in contact with the Patriots, but Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf and Vice President of Player Personnel Ryan Cowden will lead the draft room.

After falling short in Super Bowl LXI, the Patriots have 11 overall selections in the 2026 draft, starting with the No. 31 pick in the first round. New England will have eight of its picks on the final day of the draft, with two in the fourth round, one in the fifth round, four in the sixth round, and one in the seventh round.

While Mike Vrabel appears to continue in his role despite the controversy, things haven’t been the same for NFL insider Dianna Russini, as The Athletic’s correspondent had to step down from her role after the images were leaked.

Dianna Russini resigns after her leaked pictures with Mike Vrabel

NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic less than a week after her photos with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel were published by the New York Post. This incident has since prompted an internal investigation at the New York Times-owned sports outlet, during which Russini sent her letter of resignation to Athletic’s executive editor, Steven Ginsberg.

“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini’s resignation said. “When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work, and pride in my journalism. For that, I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.”

The leaked photos between Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini set off a chain of consequences that neither could contain. Vrabel kept his job but lost his footing, stepping away from one of the biggest weekends on the NFL calendar. Russini lost hers entirely. What began as a private moment in Sedona has affected two careers on very different trajectories.