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Mike Vrabel had no comment about The Athletic's ruling on Dianna Russini
The Athletic published its internal review of Dianna Russini’s reporting on Thursday and found that she was “in clear violation” of their standards. New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has nothing to say about it, however.
Asked at a press conference whether he had any reaction to the findings earlier this week, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel gave a very brief, Bill Belichickian response.
Mike Vrabel said he has “no reaction” to The Athletic’s internal review of Dianna Russini’s reporting
“No, I don’t,” Vrabel said. “We’re moved on and focused on Seattle and focused on the Patriots and focused on getting better this week.”
The Athletic‘s review, conducted by investigator Mike Semel, found that Russini’s undisclosed relationship with Vrabel — documented through photos spanning 2020 to 2026 — was “in clear violation of The Athletic‘s standards.”
The review also found, however, that Semel had “not found a clear link to conclude that Russini used her platform to help promote Vrabel or help his teams,” while acknowledging that some of her coverage of him reads as “awkward or even uncomfortable.”
The story first broke in April when photos of Russini and Vrabel together at a private Arizona resort were released publicly, which was then followed up by the publication of additional photos of the pair over the years.
Vrabel missed the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft to undergo counseling in the immediate aftermath, while Russini departed The Athletic following the photos’ release and has not been heard from publicly since.
Vrabel was hired as Patriots head coach in January 2025 and led the Patriots to the Super Bowl in his first season with the team. The Patriots open their 2026 season on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, who dominated them in last year’s Super Bowl, on Wednesday, September 9.