Mike Vrabel Breaks Silence on Those Sedona Photos: "This Doesn't Deserve Any Further Response"
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is done talking about it. Photos of him and national NFL reporter Dianna Russini together at an Arizona resort last month hit the New York Post, and Vrabel just wants to move on. Both are married to other people, and both want you to know exactly what was going on: nothing scandalous.
The pictures, taken two weekends ago at the Ambiente in Sedona, show the two in bathing suits at a pool and hugging on a rooftop. Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, each released statements immediately after the photos went public.
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"These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable," Vrabel told the Post. "This doesn't deserve any further response." That's about as definitive as it gets from the head coach.
Russini, a former ESPN anchor and reporter who joined the Athletic as a national NFL reporter in 2023, backed him up. "The photos don't represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day," she said. "Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues."
The Athletic's executive editor Steven Ginsberg also weighed in, defending his reporter's credibility. "These photos are misleading and lack essential context," Ginsberg said. "These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we're proud to have her at the Athletic."
The Timeline That Matters
According to the Post, Vrabel had attended a scouting event at Arizona State University on Friday, March 27, before heading to the resort. Both he and Russini were later present at the annual NFL league meetings, which ran Sunday through Tuesday, March 29 through 31, in Phoenix. Nothing hidden, nothing in the dark.
For what it's worth, Vrabel is coming off one of the best coaching seasons in recent memory. He led the Patriots to a 14-3 record and a Super Bowl appearance last season, earning NFL coach of the year honors. He's entering his second season in New England after winning a Super Bowl as a player with the same franchise.
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