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While the focus should be on the New England Patriots heading into the 2026 season looking for redemption after a Super Bowl loss, the hot-button topic of head coach Mike Vrabel’s relationship with former The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini was rife Tuesday.
Tight end Hunter Henry is clearly aware of the current situation with Vrabel, who spent Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft away from the team seeking counseling amid the Russini controversy.
But Henry, and the rest of the Patriots, try to focus on football as much as possible.
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Hunter Henry of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown during an NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., on Dec. 21, 2025. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
“Obviously, you know, I know you guys want to hear about everything that’s going on, but to be honest with you, we’re just focused,” he told reporters Tuesday, according to Yahoo Sports. “I’m focused on what we have going on right now in this building with this team.
Henry, a team captain, added that he’s “just focused on the guys in this locker room and trying to build it from the ground up.” In other words, he won’t comment on his head coach’s off-court controversy.
Co-captain Robert Spillane was also asked about Vrabel’s situation, but echoed Henry’s sentiments.
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“Coach coaches football. He keeps the bottom line the most important thing,” Spillane told MassLive. “I know he’s dealing with personal issues. But when we’re in the building. We talk football.”
While Spillane would not comment on anyone else’s relationship with Vrabel, he noted that he would “be here to support him” as he believes his coach would do the same.
Vrabel spoke publicly about the Russini controversy, and he noted during his statement that he was talking to players.
“I thought he did a good job,” Henry said of Vrabel’s handling of the situation as it unfolded. “It’s been the same Vrabes that’s brought a lot of energy into the room, so I mean, of course he addressed that. That’s kind of what I’m going to say about it.”
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel stands on the field before the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., on Jan. 25, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
The Patriots released a statement before the first round of the draft last Thursday, saying they “fully support” Vrabel.
“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 read.
“We are confident in the leadership and communication that Mike has established with our staff throughout this pre-draft process.”
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Vrabel was with the Patriots for the first two nights of the draft, but he walked away in rounds 4-7 to seek counseling.
“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I would give them the best version of me that I possibly can give them,” Vrabel said in a statement to ESPN.
“To do that I have committed to seeking counseling starting this weekend. It’s something I’ve given a lot of thought to and would advise any player to do if I was counseling them.”
Vrabel also told reporters that he has had “some difficult conversations with people that I care about” about him and Russini being photographed together at a private resort in Sedona, Arizona, in his first public comments about the controversial relationship.
Dianna Russini, left, and Mike Vrabel, right, are shown in a split composite photo with Russini holding an ESPN microphone and Vrabel on the Titans sideline wearing a headset. (Images)
Since then, photos have surfaced from 2020 showing Vrabel and Russini kissing at a bar in New York City. The photos, obtained exclusively by the New York Post, were taken in the early hours of March 11, 2020.
“They were kissing and they were all over each other,” an eyewitness told the paper. “He was wearing a ring.”
Russini reportedly married Kevin Goldschmidt, her husband and a Shake Shack executive, six months after the photos were taken. Goldschmidt and Russini also share two children.
Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, since 1999, and they share two sons together. In the photos, Vrabel’s wedding ring is visible on his left hand as he speaks with Russini. At the time, Russini was with ESPN while Vrabel was coaching the Tennessee Titans.
In the past month, Vrabel and the former The Athletic reporter were seen holding hands and hugging at the luxury resort in Arizona. Photos of their intimate interaction were first released in April.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona on March 31, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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The photos showed the two sunbathing by a pool, in a hot tub and on the roof of a bungalow, holding hands and embracing, causing an outcry throughout the league. Russini, the subject of an investigation by her employer, The Athletic, resigned as a result.
Vrabel has since returned to the Patriots as they continue their offseason training program. The team’s rookie minicamp is also scheduled for 8-10. May.
