NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he’s confident the New England Patriots will handle the fallout of head coach Mike Vrabel’s controversial relationship with NFL insider Dianna Russini.
“This is not a personal conduct policy, as we know it today,” Goodell, 67, told ESPN’s Mike Greenberg at the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 23. “It’s a personal matter and we’ll leave it at that.”
Goodell added, “I think the teams handle these matters when they’re personal matters. They have a lot more information that can benefit everyone involved.”
Last week, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told ESPN that the league would not be reviewing Vrabel’s behavior as part of the personal conduct policy, which states players, coaches and executives are required to avoid “conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League.”
Controversy has swirled surrounding Vrabel’s relationship with NFL insider Russini, 43, in the wake of photos being published of the pair by Page Six earlier this month.
Since then, more photos of the two have been released by multiple outlets, with Page Six publishing photos on Thursday of Vrabel, 50, and Russini kissing at a New York City bar in March 2020.
Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, since 1999. Russini married her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, in September 2020.
The Patriots head coach addressed the media on Thursday, shortly before the start of the draft.
“That’s a private and personal matter,” he told reporters at the Patriots’ facilities. “I think that was an attempt to protect your family and I would never be dismissive. I think my family and this football team are the most important thing…I’m excited about the challenge with both of those things.”
On Thursday morning, ESPN released a statement from Vrabel revealing that he would be seeking “counseling” amid the scandal.
“When you prioritize your family first, then your job, that’s what’s required and that’s what was necessary,” he said at the press conference on Thursday.
Vrabel will begin counseling this weekend, which means he will not be with the team on day 3 of the NFL Draft on Saturday, April 25. He participated in the team’s activities on Thursday and is expected to be in attendance on Friday, April 24.
“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,” Vrabel said in his statement to ESPN. “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.”
