New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye broke his silence on head coach Mike Vrabel’s ongoing scandal.
“We’re here for coach, we love coach,” Maye, 23, told a local Boston news outlet on Wednesday, April 29. “What he’s done for us this past year, you can’t speak into words.”
The NFL star added, “Thankfully, he’s our head coach and I know he’s doing some stuff off the field and out of the coaching world, but we’re here for him and I know he’s gonna come back.”
Vrabel, 50, has been making headlines alongside sports reporter Dianna Russini after photos of them at a luxury resort in Sedona, Arizona, were made public earlier this month. The images, published by Page Six, appeared to show the two holding hands amid their respective marriages. (Vrabel has been married to wife Jen since 1999. Russini and Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt wed in 2020.)
Both Vrabel and Russini quickly denied that the photos showed anything more than friendship between them.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Vrabel told Page Six. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
As more questions emerged about the photos, Russini resigned from her job at The Atlantic amid the publication’s investigation regarding the situation.
Vrabel offered a second statement on April 21 ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about: my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” Vrabel told reporters. “Those have been positive and productive. We believe in order to be successful on and off the field you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of distraction.”
Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini Photo Scandal: A Complete Timeline
When asked about Russini directly, Vrabel noted that he was “not going to be able to comment on anything as it relates to that.”
Page Six published a second round of photos on April 23 that appeared to show the two kissing and holding hands while at a New York City bar in 2020. TMZ has since obtained an image of Vrabel and Russini at a casino in Mississippi in 2024.
Despite the drama, Vrabel hasn’t lost the support of Patriots fans. While attending a ticketholder event on Wednesday, April 29, Vrabel received a standing ovation from attendees.
Vrabel is also back at work with the Patriots organization after revealing on April 22 that he planned to seek 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 in a statement before the NFL Draft. “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.”
He continued, “I have always wanted to lead by example, and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
