Eliot Wolf addresses Mike Vrabel's upcoming draft absence

FOXBOROUGH, Mass — New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that he will not be with Eliot Wolf and the rest of the staff on Saturday, which is the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The decision comes following the fallout from the photos that surfaced of the head coach and NFL Insider Dianna Russini. Vrabel said his "previous actions don't meet the standard that I hold myself to," adding that his "family needs me this weekend, and that's where I'll be."

Following the first round of the NFL draft, Wolf spoke with reporters and fielded a few questions about Vrabel's upcoming absence.

"I just refer to the statement," he said. "That's a personal thing that Mike's dealing with and going through, and obviously we support him."

Wolf added that he's "not too worried" about having to work without Vrabel there, adding that while it is "going to be different," the organization feels "really good about the people that we have in place to make up for it."

He was also asked if he feels the team will be able to contact him at any point if necessary, and Wolf's reply was simple: "Yes." Wolf used that same answer when asked if he would have final say on Saturday.

The de facto general manager also detailed what they will be missing without Vrabel.

"The stability of him as a person, some of the leadership, some of the presence," Wolf explained. "He does a nice job for us with the undrafted players. Obviously, he's a tremendous recruiter, so that's maybe something that we'll be missing.

"But again, we're very confident in the people we have with the process. The assistant coaches have done a tremendous job, as have the scouts, preparing for day three. And we're excited about it."

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