Just one day after Stefon Diggs was found not guilty in his assault trial, a new report says Mike Vrabel is already pushing the New England Patriots to pursue a reunion with the former 1,000-yard receiver despite the ongoing Dianna Russini scandal threatening the coach’s future.
New England released Diggs following the Patriots Super Bowl defeat to the Seattle Seahawks, even though Diggs became the team’s first receiver to record a 1,000-yard season since Julian Edelman in 2019.
The timing of the reported Diggs push is especially striking because Vrabel remains under intense scrutiny following the publication of photos linking him to NFL reporter Dianna Russini — controversy that some league insiders believe could still jeopardize his standing with the Patriots if another damaging development emerges.
The Patriots are believed to have parted ways with Diggs due to a contract that would have saddled the Patriots with a $26.5 million salary cap hit heading into the 2026 season. But Diggs also faced serious legal troubles.
In December, a personal chef who worked for Diggs, Jamila “Mila” Adams, filed a police report accusing the 11-year NFL veteran wide receiver of assaulting and strangling her when she asked for pay he allegedly owed her. The case went to trial this week, and on Tuesday a jury in Dedham, Massachusetts, found Diggs not guilty on all counts.
Diggs, a free agent, has not signed with another team. But now that his assault case, which could have put him behind bars for up to five years, effectively ending his NFL career, has been resolved, teams are expected to begin bidding for Diggs’ services.
According to a report Wednesday by the Daily Mail, Vrabel wants the Patriots to be first in line for Diggs.
Russini Scandal Dogs Vrabel
The report appears to indicate that Vrabel is proceeding as normal with his second year as Patriots head coach, despite an ongoing scandal that according to some experts could end up costing him his job.
The scandal began a month ago when Page Six published candid photos of Vrabel, who is married, in a seemingly intimate setting with the also-married NFL reporter Dianna Russini, then of The Athletic.
Vrabel and the Patriots badly flubbed the public relations response to the photos, with Vrabel first dismissing any allegations of impropriety with Russini as “laughable.” But within two weeks his stance had shifted to the point where he left the team during the NFL draft to seek “counseling.”
“We’re one news cycle away potentially, at any given moment, from him not being able to coach the team this year,” said Pro Football Talk founder Mike Florio in a radio interview on Tuesday. “What if she tells her story to the Today show or 60 Minutes? Is that the tipping point where Mike Vrabel can’t coach the Patriots this year?”
But the reported interest in a Diggs reunion appears to show that Vrabel is unworried about his job security.
Is a Diggs Reunion Realistic for Vrabel, Patriots?
During his single-season stint with the Patriots, Diggs played a key role in taking New England to a 14-3 season, the team’s best record since going 14-2 in 2016, and the Super Bowl. The 32-year-old receiver, who has played for four NFL teams, praised Vrabel as “probably the best coach I’ve ever had.”
According to a source close to Diggs who spoke to the Daily Mail, however, Diggs may not be willing to come back to New England for one reason — money.
“The only reason he would not sign is because he would have to sign for a lot cheaper rate than he would get from any other team,” the unnamed source told the Mail. “If he would like to leave millions on the table to return to the Patriots, those discussions will be started this week.”
One thing is certain, however. With a long-anticipated Patriots trade for Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown expected after June 1, and the earlier free-agent signing of former Green Bay Packers pass catcher Romeo Doubs, a Vrabel reunion with Diggs would immediately give the Patriots and quarterback Drake Maye perhaps the top receiving corps in the NFL.
Mike Vrabel Pushes Patriots Stefon Diggs Move Amid Russini Scandal: Report