NEED TO KNOWMike Vrabel addressed the ongoing photo scandal involving Dianna Russini during a Patriots press conference on Tuesday, April 21
Vrabel thanked media for their "patience" and said he's had "some difficult conversations" with family, friends and colleagues since the photos were published
Vrabel said he doesn't want the scandal to become a distraction for the team
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has broken his silence on the rumors surrounding his relationship with fired NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
Vrabel, 50, spoke to media during a press conference on Tuesday, April 21, where he addressed the photos of him and Russini — who are both married to other people — hugging and holding hands at a luxury hotel in Arizona for the first time since they were published in the New York Post two weeks earlier.
Vrabel began by thanking the media members for their "patience" as he's stayed silent on the situation.
"Thank you for your patience that you’ve shown in a personal and private matter for me and obviously everybody involved. I know that that's not easy for you and I respect that and I appreciate that," he said.
"I understand I could’ve addressed you guys sooner, but it was important to me to have a conversation with the players, which I did yesterday, very candidly," Vrabel continued, noting that he doesn't want his personal matter to "take away from the weekend of the Draft" or the "amazing journey" that the incoming rookies will begin this season.
"With that being said," Vrabel continued, "I've had some difficult conversations with people I care about about — with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players."
Those conversations "have been positive and productive," said Vrabel, adding, "In order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team, never want to be the cause of distraction."
Vrabel said he cares "deeply about this football team" and he's "excited" to begin the new season.
"I know I'm going to attack each day with humility and focus," he promised, assuring media and fans that they'll be getting "the best version of me going forward" in the presser. "And in order to do that, I wanted to address this and thank you for your patience," Vrabel concluded.
When the photos, initially published by Page Six, circulated on Tuesday, April 7, both Vrabel and Russini immediately issued statements denying a personal relationship.
"These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable," Vrabel said at the time. "This doesn’t deserve any further response."
Russini, who officially resigned from The Athletic on April 14, initially said, "The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues," Russini told the outlet.
While Russini resigned from The Athletic as they investigate her involvement with Vrabel, the Patriots coach is not facing any disciplinary action from the NFL, a league official confirmed to PEOPLE on April 20. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that the New England Patriots coach is not under investigation for any violation regarding the league’s personal conduct policy.
In her resignation letter, Russini said "commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts" and added, "It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept."
Russini's resignation letter continued: "Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”