The New England Patriots are the reigning AFC champions, but their distraction-filled offseason could affect their players, according to Super Bowl XXXVII MVP Dexter Jackson
Jackson spoke about the impact coach Mike Vrabel’s offseason scandal may have on the Patriots and why his reported multi-year affair with longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini could loom for the entire 2026 season.
Vrabel, of course, is the reigning NFL Coach of the Year after guiding the Pats to a 14-3 record and the AFC East title. The Patriots then won three of their four playoff games before falling to the Seattle Seahawks 29-13 in Super Bowl LX.
But Vrabel has since been caught up in off-field drama that kept him away from the Patriots’ war room at the NFL Draft and threatens to affect the upcoming season.
Dexter Jackson: The Mike Vrabel Affair ‘Will Probably Last the Whole Year’
Jackson played 10 NFL seasons for three different organizations. He won the Super Bowl as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and earned MVP in their 48-21 win over the then-Oakland Raiders after recording two interceptions of Rich Gannon.
So Jackson knows a thing or two about playing in an NFL locker room, even though he hasn’t played since 2008.
As a guy who played in the NFL for 10 years, I can tell you that one of the first things that all head coaches tell the players throughout the year is to not engage in any kind of activity or behavior that will embarrass the team or become a distraction for the team,” Jackson told Betway recently. “I can assure you that this situation has been a distraction for the Patriots. It will probably last the whole year, and questions will be asked about it all season long.”
Vrabel publicly acknowledged his detrimental actions and apologized to the Patriots for conduct detrimental to their team during a pre-draft media availability last month.
Still, 2026 is a big year for the Patriots, since they can prove naysayers wrong who accused them of taking advantage of a soft schedule and weak AFC. With Drake Maye, who was the runner-up to Matthew Stafford for NFL MVP, entering his second full year as starter and an extremely young roster, the distraction could threaten an otherwise promising season.
“This is a team that just had a great year,” Jackson said. “They have a young quarterback who came in and played well, and they are trying to win one more game this year than they won last season.
“But with this distraction, you have to think of how it’s going to affect not only their young quarterback, but other players and the coaching staff, too.”
Mike Vrabel Could use ‘Distraction’ Talk to Rally his Team
Vrabel is the antithesis of a leader of men to many right now. But he also comes from the Bill Belichick coaching tree, and no one rallied his team around controversy better than the Patriots’ six-time Super Bowl-champion head coach.
So it’s entirely possible Vrabel and the Pats go scorched Earth on the NFL the way they did in 2007 after Spygate allegations. New England could be especially dangerous if it, as expected, acquires uber-talented wide receiver A.J. Brown, whose public image is also due a makeover after he wore out his welcome with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Comments like Jackson’s could end up on a bulletin board to motivate Maye and the other Patriots. We’ll see if Vrabel is able to do just that in the months ahead.
Former Super Bowl MVP Calls Out Mike Vrabel for Offseason ‘Distraction’ to Patriots