Ex-Patriot Challenges Mike Vrabel On How To Handle Dianna Russini Controversy

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel

Ex-Patriot Challenges Mike Vrabel On How To Handle Dianna Russini Controversy originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Will Mike Vrabel address the Dianna Russini controversy with his players, or sweep it under the rug?

That remains to be seen, but one former New England Patriots player apparently believes the head coach will need to explain himself.

In case you somehow missed it, Vrabel is under fire after the New York Post recently posted photos of him with Russini at an adults-only luxury resort in Sedona, Ariz. Vrabel and Russini, both of whom are married, claimed innocence and that they were there with friends. However, speculation of an affair has persisted, and Russini on Tuesday resigned from The Athletic amid an investigation from the outlet's parent company, The New York Times. As of Wednesday, neither party had publicly shared evidence of being at the resort with anyone other than each other.

That brings us to Wednesday, when NBC Sports Boston's Michael Holley claimed an ex-Patriots player told him that Vrabel must answer to the locker room.

“I talked to a former (Patriots) player," Holley said during a "Sports Tonight" episode. "And he said, 'The hell (the players) won’t want answers. You think Mike Vrabel can just brush this under the rug without talking to the players? Coaching don’t treat us like they treat the media.' "

Holley added: "I think Vrabel will have to say something to his team. ... I think he’s gonna have to answer to something that’s been in the news for a while. ... For his credibility, he’s gonna have to say something to the team."

Time will tell how this controversy shakes out. Perhaps Vrabel and Russini both will be exonerated at some point.

But it's not going away for the foreseeable future -- and could live on inside New England's locker room.

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