The New England Patriots are mere days away from kicking off a season with championship expectations.
And Mike Vrabel made it clear Thursday he has no interest in revisiting one of the biggest off-field stories of his offseason.
Vrabel was asked about The Athletic’s newly released review of former NFL insider Dianna Russini’s work and whether he had any reaction to its findings.
“No, I don’t have a reaction … we’ve moved on,” Vrabel said, via Boston Herald reporter Karen Guregian.
The Athletic’s review concluded Russini violated the outlet’s standards by failing to disclose her relationship with Vrabel, while finding little evidence that the connection influenced her reporting on the coach or his teams.
Clearly, Vrabel wants the latest development left in the spring as New England shifts toward its Sept. 9 opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
Vrabel Offers Curt Response to Investigation Findings
The Athletic’s internal inquiry lasted nearly five months and examined a big portion of Russini’s work. Via Reuters, editorial director for standards and quality Mike Semel reviewed 903 stories and 77 videos, along with hours of podcast material and other appearances.
Of those 903 pieces, Reuters reported that 46 — roughly 5% — mentioned Vrabel, the Tennessee Titans or the Patriots. Semel wrote that Russini’s work was “seldom reliant on Vrabel as a source or subject,” and the investigation found not much evidence that her coverage of Vrabel and his teams was affected by their connection.
The standards issue centered on disclosure.
“Russini’s relationship with Vrabel was in clear violation of The Athletic’s standards,” Semel wrote, per Reuters. “Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic, it was a breach and should have been disclosed.”
The review didn’t reach a conclusion about the full nature of the relationship. It did, however, determine that the public photographs were enough to create the appearance of a conflict of interest and undermine confidence in Russini’s impartiality.
Russini resigned from The Athletic in April after photos of her and Vrabel at a resort in Sedona, Arizona, became public.
She told The Associated Press on Thursday that she still stands by the resignation statement she issued at the time, in which she defended the professionalism and accuracy of her reporting.
Vrabel’s response Thursday struck a shortened tone from the extended public comments he made during the initial fallout.
Patriots Coach Has Tried to Put Off-Field Matter Behind Him
Back in April, Vrabel acknowledged that the situation had created difficult conversations with his family, the Patriots organization, coaches and players.
“We believe in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions,” Vrabel said at the time, via Boston.com. “That includes me. That starts with me.”
Two days later, he said his previous actions didn’t meet the standard he held for himself and announced that he would begin counseling. Vrabel stepped away from the Patriots for the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft, with the organization publicly supporting his decision to prioritize his family and well-being.
He soon returned to football operations and guided New England through the rest of the offseason.
Now, with The Athletic review complete, Vrabel is signaling that he doesn’t plan to reopen the matter publicly, putting the Patriots squarely back in football mode.
In the end, Thursday’s answer was only a few words, but it established where Vrabel stands as the story resurfaces.
Patriots’ Mike Vrabel Gives Short Response on Dianna Russini Report