The New England Patriots released a statement hours before the start of the NFL Draft affirming their support of coach Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel will miss Day 3 of the NFL Draft — a day in which the Patriots are expected to select eight of their 11 picks — as he joins his family and begins counseling, according to ESPN.
“The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being,” the Patriots said in the statement. “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.
“We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with our personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. While he will not be present at the facility on Saturday, we know the draft evaluations are complete and Eliot Wolf and his personnel staff are prepared to execute our draft as planned this weekend.”
ESPN’s report stated that Vrabel will be with his family outside of Massachusetts Saturday. That report came out Wednesday night, while additional photos were published by Page Six showing Vrabel and former Athletic NFL insider Dianna Russini in a dimly lit bar in March of 2020.
Those photos were a continuation of reporting from Page Six that started earlier this month with photos of Russini and Vrabel at an adults-only resort in Arizona ahead of the NFL League Meetings. Following the initial Page Six story, Russini resigned from her position with The Athletic.
“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 Wednesday night. “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. 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.”
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