The situation surrounding Mike Vrabel keeps getting more complicated. The New England Patriots head coach has stepped away from the team indefinitely to seek counseling and spend time with his family, amid an ongoing controversy tied to his reported relationship with NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
His absence couldn't come at a worse time. Vrabel will miss the entire fourth day of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday, covering rounds four through seven. The Patriots hold eight picks across those rounds, two of them in the fourth, which makes his absence from the war room a significant one for a franchise still trying to find its footing.
Russini herself resigned from The Athletic amid the fallout. Now, a newly surfaced report has added a fresh twist to an already complicated story.
Mitsu Yasukawa/Northjersey.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC
According to Page Six, Vrabel and Russini were seen together at a quiet Tribeca bar in New York City nearly six years before they were photographed holding hands and embracing at an Arizona resort.
Newly obtained photos place the two inside Tribeca Tavern in the early hours of March 11, 2020, sitting close, deep in conversation, and at one point appearing to share a kiss.
"They were kissing and they were all over each other," an eyewitness said, per Page Six. "He had a ring on."
At the time, Vrabel was married to his wife Jen and leading the Tennessee Titans as head coach. Russini married Kevin Goldschmidt six months after that night.
The source described the setting as deliberately low-key, tucked away enough that even the staff barely paid attention. The two reportedly stayed for over an hour without drawing any real notice from those around them. Reports suggest that the interaction was comfortable and affectionate throughout.
Their seating arrangement alone reflected a certain comfort between them, and the source noted they remained in their own world for most of the time they were there.
Vrabel was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans at the time while Russini was covering the NFL for ESPN, which adds more significance to this particular sighting beyond what's already been reported.
The Patriots haven't addressed the latest developments publicly. Vrabel remains away from the building with the draft underway and New England's offseason decisions continuing to pile up without him in the room.
