Mike Vrabel won’t be with the Patriots for part of the NFL draft in a surprising turn of events.
The Patriots head coach told ESPN on Wednesday night that he won’t be with the team on day three — Saturday — of the proceedings, and he will be “seeking counseling” in the wake of being photographed with Dianna Russini, the former NFL insider for The Athletic.
Vrabel, 50, did not mention the photos specifically but did say he wants to be the “best version” of himself he can be for the team and his family.
“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel told ESPN. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.”
The coach told ESPN he will be with his wife, Jen, and their two sons, outside of Massachusetts this weekend. He will still be in contact with the team on Saturday as they make their final selections.
New England has eight picks on Saturday (rounds 4-7).
Earlier this month, Page Six published the photos of Russini and Vrabel — both of whom are married with children — at an adults-only resort in Arizona in March, as they appeared to embrace and hold hands. Less than a week later, Russini, 43, resigned from her position at the New York Times-owned Athletic as the outlet opened an internal investigation into her ties with the Patriots coach.
Vrabel, who initially called the photos “laughable” in his original statement to Page Six, was asked about that specific comment on Tuesday in a press conference. He mostly side-stepped the question.
“I appreciate the question. I’m going to focus on our football team,” he said. “I think I’ve addressed what I felt like was important. So, we’ll be focusing on our football team and the importance of teaching these guys, bringing a new team together, 13 new players.”
During the press conference, Vrabel did say he had a “candid” conversation with his players on Monday.
”I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about,” Vrabel added. “My family, the organization, the coaches, the players. Those have been positive and productive.
“We believe that in order to be successful, you have to make good decisions. That includes me, that starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team, we never want to be the cause of a distraction.”
On Wednesday, Page Six published more photos of the two at the resort breakfast together on Match 28.
Vrabel told ESPN that he hopes to have a “stronger resolve” after his counseling.
“I have always wanted to lead by example and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be,” he added.
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