New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has announced he will seek counselling and miss the third day of the NFL draft, following the publication of photographs showing him with veteran reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort.
In a statement to ESPN, Vrabel said he had committed to counselling starting this weekend, adding that he wanted to be the best husband, father and coach he could be. “This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person,” he said.
The images, published by the New York Post earlier this month, were reportedly taken before the annual NFL meetings in Phoenix on 29 March. The league confirmed last weekend that it is not investigating Vrabel’s behaviour.
Both Vrabel and Russini are married to other people. Russini resigned from the Athletic less than a week after the Post’s report prompted an internal investigation at the sports outlet, owned by the New York Times.
Vrabel addressed the team on Monday, saying he had “difficult conversations with people I care about”. He said he wanted to speak before two players were due to face reporters, and stressed that he did not want the controversy to overshadow the draft, which began on Thursday.
