The New England Patriots kicked off their voluntary minicamp on Monday. Head coach Mike Vrabel, however, did not address the media immediately following the controversy involving himself and former The Athletic insider Dianna Russini. On Tuesday, though, Vrabel spoke publicly for the first time since the situation and acknowledged that he had to have conversations with both the Patriots and his family before addressing the media.

“I understand I could have addressed you guys sooner, but it was important to me to have a conversation with the players, which I did yesterday very candidly,” Vrabel said. “…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.

“We believe that in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. 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.”

His comments surfaced a couple of weeks after Page Six published photos of Vrabel and Russini together at the Ambiente hotel in Sedona. The images were reportedly from Saturday, May 28, ahead of the annual league meetings in Phoenix.

The photos reportedly showed both Vrabel and Russini holding hands, embracing, and sitting together in a pool. Since then, both have pushed back against the narrative surrounding the situation.

In a statement at that time, Vrabel said, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”

Russini, meanwhile, addressed that the photos did not show the full group of six people present at the gathering. However, amid the ongoing investigation from the outlet, she eventually submitted her resignation from her role at The Athletic.

Meanwhile, there has been no official statement from the Patriots as of now. During his media appearance, Vrabel also apologized for not addressing the matter sooner, while emphasizing his care towards the team and the players, as he’s looking forward to coaching the Patriots.

“Those are comments and questions that I’ve answered for the team and with the team and we’ll keep those private and to ourselves. I care deeply about this football team and I’m excited to coach them,” Vrabel added. “I also know that I’m going to attack each day with humility and focus.

“And what I can promise you is that my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, everybody, our fans, most importantly, will get the best version of me going forward. And that’s what I know. I’m excited to do that, but I wanted to just address this and thank you for dealing with a private and personal matter.”

That said, with the Patriots now turning their attention to the upcoming NFL Draft, reports indicate that the head coach is not under investigation for any violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.

The league will not take any action against Mike Vrabel

It’s been a couple of weeks since the photos of Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini surfaced. Since then, Russini has stepped away, issuing an official statement on her social media.

“I have decided to step aside now—before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”

Vrabel, meanwhile, has reported back to the Patriots as the team began the first phase of offseason workouts. That development picked up after it was reported that Vrabel is not facing any discipline from the league, with Brian McCarthy confirming it to USA Today.

According to that policy, as it pertains to non-NFL players, “Conduct that is illegal, violent, dangerous, or irresponsible puts innocent victims at risk, damages the reputation of others associated with the game, and undercuts public respect and support for the NFL. We must endeavor at all times to be people of high character; we must show respect for others inside and outside our workplace; and we must conduct ourselves in ways that favorably reflect on ourselves, our teams, the communities we represent, and the NFL.”

That said, Vrabel has now acknowledged that the Patriots are shifting their focus toward the upcoming NFL Draft, while also highlighting the journey that the incoming players are about to begin once they join the team. As for how the ongoing situation will eventually unfold, it is something that will become clearer over time.