The Los Angeles Chargers mocked New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini in their 2026 schedule release video, referencing a scandal involving leaked photos. Other teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, also joined in on the mockery.
Key points
Chargers mocked Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini in schedule release video
Video referenced leaked photos and media coverage
Other teams, like the Vikings, also mocked the Patriots
Mentioned in this story
Mike VrabelDianna Russini
Los Angeles ChargersNew England Patriots
The Los Angeles Chargers threw shade at the New England Patriots and their coach Mike Vrabel amid his Dianna Russini scandalCredit: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty; Cindy Ord/Getty
The Los Angeles Chargers threw shade at the New England Patriots and their coach Mike Vrabel amid his Dianna Russini scandal
Credit: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty; Cindy Ord/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
The Chargers mocked Mike Vrabel's and Dianna Russini's ongoing photo scandal in their schedule release video
The video included nods to leaked photos and media coverage of Vrabel and Russini's interactions
Other teams, like the Minnesota Vikings, also poked fun at the Patriots in their schedule release videos
The Chargers couldn't help but make a dig at Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and his ongoing scandal with NFL reporter Dianna Russini in their 2026 schedule release video.
The Los Angeles team is known for subtly mocking their opponents in their viral videos, and they didn't hold back in their Halo-themed 2026 edition, released Thursday, May 14, which is filled with inside jokes about each of their 17 matchups next season.
As the video approaches the Week 12 matchup against the Patriots, Spartan soldiers race along a Mario Kart-inspired track before passing a billboard that reads: “Next Photo Dump 1 Mile” — a reference to the news-breaking photos of Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, that have popped up multiple times over the last month, from the initial pictures of them at an Arizona resort, to secretive snaps of the two at an N.Y.C. bar in 2020, to the video that showed them picking up a boat rental in 2021.
Q&A
What scandal involving Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini is being referenced?
The scandal involves leaked photos and interactions between Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
How did the Chargers mock the Patriots in their schedule release video?
The Chargers included references to the ongoing scandal and media coverage of Vrabel and Russini in their video.
Which other NFL teams mocked the Patriots in their schedule release videos?
The Minnesota Vikings also poked fun at the Patriots in their schedule release videos.
What year is the Chargers' schedule release video focused on?
The Chargers' schedule release video is focused on the 2026 season.
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Moments later, a notification pops up at the bottom of the screen reading: “NY Post sent you a message,” referencing the New York Post's Page Six, which first published the photos of Vrabel and Russini in Arizona on April 7.
The snarky digs come after Vrabel, 50, addressed the controversy during a press conference on Tuesday, April 21, where he did not mention the photos of him and Russini, who are both married to other people, but said that he would be attending "counseling."
During the press conference, Vrabel assured fans they would get “the best version of me going forward.”
"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 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.”
Following the release of the photos, Vrabel denied the allegations, telling the New York Post on Tuesday, April 7: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable."
"This doesn't deserve any further response," her statement continued.
A week later, on Tuesday, April 14, Russini announced she would resign from The Athletic.
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A few weeks after announcing her resignation, new video surfaced showing Russini and Vrabel together on a Tennessee lake in 2021.
In footage published by TMZ on May 7, Russini and Vrabel are seen walking on a dock on a June afternoon in Putnam County.
Two months after the video was recorded, Russini gave birth to her first child with husband Kevin Goldschmidt. The couple later welcomed a second son, Joseph “Joey” Kevin, in October 2022.
The Chargers weren't the only team to mock the Patriots in their schedule release.
The Minnesota Vikings' video featured their kicker Will Reichard at an upscale restaurant where he ordered dishes that poked fun at each of their upcoming opponents, from Buffalo Bills buffalo wings to a cheese-filled plate for the Green Bay Packers.
For the Patriots, they were categorized as a plate of "TikTok Cookies" — a nod to Ann Michael Maye, the wife of Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who went viral last year for her TikTok baking videos.
A key ingredient in the Vikings' version? One teaspoon of Russini juice.
