The New England Patriots are sticking by Mike Vrabel.
According to NFL insider Albert Breer, the New England Patriots don't plan to hire head coach Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel 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 the Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Vrabel had an affair with NFL reporter Dianna Russini, who has left The Athletic and is no longer on social media.
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 she was resigning from her role at the outlet. There were also more photos released showing Russini and Vrabel kissing and renting a private boat while Russini was pregnant.
Vrabel was not with the Patriots on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. He was with his family and sought counseling.
Patriots superstar QB Drake Maye doesn't think the Vrabel-Russini scandal will distract the team next season. Maye spoke to The Associated Press following the Truist Championship Pro-Am in Charlotte, where he was paired with PGA Tour pro Gary Woodland on the back nine at Quail Hollow.
"No, I don't," Maye said. "I mean, he's our head coach. I think he's done a great job of talking to us and talking us through it. I'm just looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready."
The Patriots cut Stefon Diggs and added Romeo Doubs this offseason. They have been heavily linked to Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown, who could get traded after June 1. Vrabel coached Brown on the Tennessee Titans and the two have a close relationship.
Maye finished the 2025 regular season with 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns while completing 72.0% of his passes. He finished in second in MVP voting to Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford.
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