Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said he is seeking counseling and will miss Day 3 of the NFL Draft on Saturday, April 25, after photos surfaced of him and NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort.
Vrabel's statement comes a day after he said he had held "difficult conversations" with his family and his team after the publication of the photos by Page Six. The pictures appear to show the two holding hands, hugging, and lounging together in a hotel pool at the Ambiente, an adults-only resort in Sedona.
"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 said on Wednesday, April 22, according to 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."
"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," Vrabel continued. "This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result."
Vrabel, who was tapped as Patriots head coach in January 2025, is married to Jen Vrabel. He will miss the final four rounds of the draft on Saturday, during which New England is set to make eight of its 11 picks.
Russini, who resigned from her position as senior NFL insider for The Athletic following the publication of the photos, is married to Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt. The Athletic, which is a subsidiary of The New York Times, said it planned to continue its standards review of Russini's work even after her departure.
At a press conference on Tuesday, April 21, Vrabel said that, going forward, he would "attack each day with humility and focus."
"We believe in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me, that starts with me," Vrabel said. "We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction."
The head coach has not divulged details about the nature of the counseling he is seeking. However, he said he plans to spend the weekend with his wife and children outside of Massachusetts, ESPN reported.
Vrabel said he will keep in touch with the team on Saturday for the final day of the NFL Draft, but said he is counting on executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden to lead the Patriots' draft strategy, according to ESPN.
"What I can promise you is that my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, everybody, our fans – most importantly – will get the best version of me going forward," Vrabel said on Tuesday.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz and Jack McKessy of USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Patriots' Mike Vrabel says he will miss Day 3 of NFL Draft to seek counseling