The New England Patriots support Mike Vrabel.
The New England Patriots have released a statement after Mike Vrabel announced on Wednesday that he won't be with the team for the third day of the NFL draft on Saturday.
Vrabel is seeking counseling amid the Dianna Russini scandal.
“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.”
Photos showed Vrabel hugging and holding hands with Russini at an adults-only hotel in Arizona. Vrabel and Russini, who are both married to other people, told the New York Post that the photos didn't accurately reflect their interaction.
However, after initially receiving support from The Athletic, Russini announced last week that she was resigning from her role at the outlet.
Vrabel, 50, won three Super Bowls as a player with New England. He is preparing for his second season as head coach of the Patriots after leading them to a 14-3 regular-season record last season, which ended with a Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
In her resignation letter last week, Russini said that she covered the NFL with "professionalism and dedication throughout my career," but decided to step down because of the "media frenzy" that had followed the New York Post report.
The Athletic is reviewing Russini's past reporting, according to a letter that executive editor Steven Ginsberg sent to the organization's staff last week.
Vrabel, who has two sons with his wife, Jen, plans to be with his family this weekend outside of Massachusetts.
The Patriots enter the draft with 11 selections, headlined by the No. 31 pick of the first round. Eight of their selections are on the final day of the draft: two in the fourth round, one in the fifth, four in the sixth and one in the seventh.
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