It’s been a long offseason for the New England Patriots. After losing the Super Bowl, they returned home to recover and improve, but hanging over them has been the controversy around head coach Mike Vrabel for his apparent relationship with Dianna Russini.
The veterans on the Patriots heard that noise, and have pretty consistently backed up Vrabel when asked to share their thoughts on what’s happened. As for Christian Elliss, he believes that it’s actually had a way of bringing the team closer together, allowing them to develop an “us against the world” mindset.
“For me, personally, and I know a lot of the guys here … it’s nothing but a confidence builder going to the game we went to last year,” Elliss said, per Karen Guregian of MassLive. “We knew we could get there. But obviously, the rest of the country was like, ‘They aren’t going to do it.’ So for us, it’s almost like it’s us against the world type of thing. We all we got, we’re all we need. So this year, especially, it’s been really good after last year.”
Through the scandal, Vrabel has also had the support of Robert Kraft and the Patriots front office. So, while reports continue to surface, the team seems ready to get to work ahead of the 2026 season.
Former Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson Called out Mike Vrabel for Being a Distraction
GettyNew England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel
While the New England Patriots are looking internally, taking an “us against the world” approach, the outside world has continued to be critical of Mike Vrabel. That recently extended to former Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson. In particular, Jackson emphasized his concerns that Vrabel made himself a distraction for the team.
“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 stepped away from the team very briefly during the NFL Draft, but has largely been in and around the building amid the scandal. He also publicly acknowledged and apologized for his behavior.
“This is a team that just had a great year. 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,” Jackson said. “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.”
Now, the Patriots have the opportunity to prove Jackson wrong. However, any regression and voices like his will only grow louder.
Jim Rome Recently Shared a Conspiracy About the Patriots, Mike Vrabel
GettyNew England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel
The concerns about Mike Vrabel and the Patriots have slipped into all facets of the NFL, including media members like Jim Rome pushing conspiracies. This one was about the NFL schedule, using the scandal as a reason why the Patriots would open the season with a Super Bowl rematch against the Seattle Seahawks.
“Has a Super Bowl rematch ever meant less?” Rome asked on his show. “This Super Bowl rematch has nothing to do with a Super Bowl rematch and everything to do with the public fascination with the Patriots’ head coach, his personal life, and where his career goes from here. That’s what that’s about.”
Rome went on to add that if the game is a bad one, the Vrabel situation still gives everyone something to talk about in primetime.
“Man, imagine if Vrabel gets blown out on opening night after the offseason from hell. Imagine how insane the narratives and the overreaction and the lava pigs and the pearl-clutching and the histrionics and the hysterics are all going to be if that’s how it goes down on opening night. Imagine all that. Oh, you know who already did imagine all that? The Shield. The Shield, obviously,” Rome said. “That’s why they gave us that game. That’s why they knew they could upstage the entire schedule release [Thursday] with one simple post, with one simple graphic.”
That conspiracy gained enough steam that the NFL actually would put out a statement denying it. Still, for many, it’s going to be in the back of their minds in Week 1.
Patriots Veterans are Embracing Us Against the World Mentality Amid Controversy