Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
The Mike Vrabel that Patriots employees are seeing inside the building these days is not the Mike Vrabel they’re used to. Vrabel was recently outed for allegedly having an affair with NFL insider Dianna Russini.
Earlier this week, Mike Vrabel — after previously calling the accusations about him and Dianna Russini “laughable” — announced that he would be missing the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday to attend counseling.
Patriots insiders that Mike Vrabel’s demeanor has changed since the Dianna Russini scandal and that the head coach has lost his “bravado”
According to NFL insider Albert Breer, Vrabel “has not been the same” in the weeks since the Dianna Russini scandal became public and that it’s dented his “bravado.”
“I can just tell you factually he has not been the same the last two weeks in that building. The sense I’ve gotten talking to people is that bravado and everything else, I think this has taken a chunk out of that,” Breer reported.
“I really like Mike personally – I’ve covered him for a long time. I think deep down he’s a good guy with a good heart. I would say it’s like what you don’t want is that version of Mike Vrabel walking around for the next six weeks until summer. You want to find a way to get the full Mike Vrabel back,” he continued.
“Did he lose his edge after everything happened? You got to be a little [worried]. The Patriots need to get Mike right. They want the full version of him. If it’s a week, two weeks, the rest of the spring, they just need the full version of him.”
“He hasn’t been the same”: Breer Reveals Behind the Scenes Concerns on Vrabel pic.twitter.com/CzGOfhVlA4
— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) April 24, 2026
In the wake up Vrabel’s statements to the media on Thursday, Russini deleted her Twitter/X account and made her Instagram private. At this time, the Patriots have not provided a timeline of when Vrabel is expected to resume his regular duties as the team’s head coach.
“I take accountability for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about: my family, this football team, the organization, and our fans. My previous actions don’t meet the standard that I hold myself to… My family needs me this weekend and that’s where I’ll be,” Vrabel told the media.
As for Russini, she hasn’t made a public statement about the alleged affair since releasing her resignation letter from The Athletic is which she shirked any responsibility for the situation.