The NFL has no plans to investigate New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel under the league’s personal conduct policy according to ESPN’s Ben Strauss. But the question of whether the Associated Press will review Vrabel’s win as 2025 AP NFL Coach of the Year has not been answered.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported the AP has not responded to two emails that PFT has sent inquiring on the subject. Florio also wrote Sunday the AP has previously declined to release Russini’s ballot.
Florio explained why that’s pertinent information for the NFL public.
“There’s obvious reason for curiosity as to Russini’s coach of the year ballot. Vrabel won the award, with 302 points and 19 first-place votes,” wrote Florio. “Jaguars coach Liam Coen finished second, with 239 points and 16 first-place votes. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald finished third, Bears coach Ben Johnson landed in fourth place, and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was fifth.
“Given the apparent relationship with Vrabel, based solely on the photos, there is clear interest in seeing Russini’s ballot. And it goes beyond whether she gave her first-place vote to Vrabel; if so, 18 others did. The question is where the other perceived candidates landed.”
Without telling the voters, the AP released all ballots for the 2024 awards. The AP did not release the ballots for 2025 voting.
Vrabel’s 2025 NFL Coach of the Year award was the second of his career. He also won the honor in 2021.
The coach of the year vote was very close last year, but it wasn’t the closest race in the league’s 2025 AP awards season. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye finished second for league MVP, finishing one vote shy of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Mike Vrabel Award Remains Under Scrutiny Amid Potential Dianna Russini Review