Mike Vrabel Reportedly Returns to Patriots Following Counseling Hiatus
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has reportedly returned to the team after a brief absence for counseling.
Last week, Vrabel announced he would miss Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday to attend counseling amid the Dianna Russini controversy.
According to Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston, Vrabel was back in his office Monday. ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed Perry's report.
After missing Day 3 of the NFL draft to be with his family, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is back at work with the team today. pic.twitter.com/y1zhwJvHpR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 27, 2026
On April 7, photos surfaced of Vrabel and Russini (then an NFL reporter for The Athletic) hanging out at the adults-only Ambiente hotel in Sedona, Arizona. The pictures, taken on March 28, showed the two hugging, holding hands and relaxing at a swimming pool.
Russini resigned from The Athletic several days later. The saga then took another twist when Page Sixpublished photos of the two kissing at a New York City bar on March 11, 2020, while Vrabel was coaching the Tennessee Titans. Russini has since deactivated her X/Twitter account.
Russini has been married to her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, since 2020. Vrabel and his wife, Jen, got married in 1999, while he was playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both couples have two sons.
Mike Vrabel Prepares for Second Season as Patriots’ Head Coach
(Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
After firing Jerod Mayo after the 2024 season, the Patriots hired Vrabel to take over as their new head coach. When Vrabel arrived, New England was coming off a third straight losing and non-playoff season.
But Vrabel quickly turned the Patriots back into an AFC juggernaut, leading them to a 14-3 record to capture their first AFC East division crown since 2019. They made a surprise run to Super Bowl XL, falling 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks.
It was nonetheless a tremendous success in year one of the Vrabel era. With most of the core pieces from 2025 returning, there's no reason to think they won't be in the mix next season.