Patriots draft process takes unexpected hit as Mike Vrabel situation following Diana Russini controversy creates new complication

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Head coach Mike Vrabel won’t be with the Patriots for Day 3 of the draft, and that’s a massive impact on a team that has eight total picks on Saturday.

The Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini controversy has officially affected the football side of the New England Patriots. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the head coach won’t be with the Patriots on Day 3 of the draft to seek counseling. Vrabel, his wife Jen, and their two sons will be together outside of Massachusetts.

“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,” Vrabel told ESPN on Wednesday night. “In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend. 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.”

Off-the-field scandal

Back on April 7, the New York Post published fotos of Mike Vrabel and former The Athletic insider Dianna Russini holding hands and hugging each other at a resort in Arizona. Initially, Vrabel said “these photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”

However, he changed the tone during his first media availability after the incident on Tuesday. Vrabel said he had “some difficult conversations with people I care about.”