Mike Vrabel will miss third day of draft for "counseling"

The two-week situation involving Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has taken an unexpected turn.

Via Mike Reiss of ESPN, Vrabel said Wednesday night that he will not be with the team for the third day of the 2026 draft. Instead, Vrabel will enter counseling.

"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. "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.

"I have always wanted to lead by example and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father, and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result."

The latest development adds another significant wrinkle to the controversy that began 16 days ago, when the New York Post published photos of Vrabel with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona. Both strongly denied that the images indicated anything inappropriate.

Now, a day after Vrabel suddenly appeared in the team's press room and read a statement calling the incident a "private and personal matter," Vrabel will taking a tangible step toward fixing the actual or perceived problem that may have contributed to the behavior. Even though it's still not clear what the behavior was.

Although Vrabel has not expressly acknowledged the basic nature of the conduct, the various pieces add up to something that the application of basic common sense can discern. And it puts Russini, who has strongly denied anything improper as to her relationship with Vrabel, in an even more difficult position, given her repeated statements insisting that the interactions captured by the photographs were innocuous.