More information continues to leak regarding the scandal between New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and former NFL insider Dianna Russini.
After being photographed holding hands and getting chummy at an Arizona hotel weeks ago — a situation that prompted Russini to resign from The Athletic — new photos came out showing the two kissing at a bar in New York City.
After initially supporting Russini, The Athletic decided to conduct an investigation into the matter and asked her to provide evidence that she was on a girls trip and just happened to run into Vrabel by chance — evidence she couldn’t produce.
Roger Goodell Addresses the Vrabel-Russini Situation
GettyNFL commissioner Roger Goodell
The NFL has already announced it will not investigate Vrabel for having an inappropriate relationship with an NFL insider — a decision that was met with frustration by fans on social media.
With Vrabel set to miss Day 3 of the 2026 NFL draft to deal with his personal matters, ESPN host Mike Greenberg grilled Goodell on why the league isn’t punishing Vrabel given the horrible optics of the situation.
“I’m going to ask you about the situation with Mike Vrabel and the Patriots,” Greenberg said, according to the Daily Mail. “He has announced that he will not be with the team on Saturday. He’ll be instead with his family and plans to seek counseling. The league has suggested that this is not a violation of the personal conduct policy.
“I want to make sure that I’m getting that exactly right. As of this point, based on what you know right now, this does not feel like a situation for the league to become involved in?”
Goodell replied: “No, this is not a personal conduct policy, as we know it today. It’s a personal matter, and we’ll leave it at that.”
Greenberg pushed further.
“Is that the kind of thing that typically you would talk with a team about?” he asked. “The Patriots seem to be handling that. I think a lot of fans would be wondering what, if any role, the NFL would have with something like that.”
“I think the teams handle these matters when they’re personal matters,” Goodell explained. “And they have a lot more information that can benefit everyone involved.”
Patriots Give Mike Vrabel Show of Support
GettyHead coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots looks on prior to a game against the Tennessee Titans
Despite the unrest the Vrabel-Russini situation has caused, the Patriots are fully backing their head coach.
As Goodell stated, the league views the situation as a personal matter, so if any punishment were to come Vrabel’s way, it would have to come from the Patriots themselves — something that seems unlikely to happen based on the statement the team issued on Thursday.
“The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being. Mike has been open with us about his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team, and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that commitment,” the statement said.
“We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with our personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. While he will not be present at the facility on Saturday, we know the draft evaluations are complete, and Eliot Wolf and his personnel staff are prepared to execute our draft as planned this weekend.”
Vrabel is not with the Patriots on Saturday as they make their final picks in the 2026 draft. Conversely, Russini has deleted her X account and made her Instagram private.
Roger Goodell Breaks Silence on NFL’s Mike Vrabel Punishment Decision