Patriots voice support for Mike Vrabel: ‘We respect the steps he is taking’

The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being. Mike has been open with us about his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that commitment.

We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with our personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. While he will not be present at the facility on Saturday, we know the draft evaluations are complete and Eliot Wolf and his personnel staff are prepared to execute our draft as planned this weekend. Vrabel has been in the headlines since photos of him and NFL reporter Dianni Russini at an adults-only hotel in were published by the New York Post. The two initially claimed that the pictures were taken out of context, but Russini since resigned from her position at The Athletic, while Vrabel admitted to having had Shortly after midnight on Thursday morning, news broke that Vrabel would while seeking 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 told 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.” Vrabel will be with the Patriots on Thursday and Friday through the first three rounds of the draft.