Vrabel says family-football balance 'really good'
Mike ReissMay 27, 2026, 02:18 PM ET Close Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Multiple Authors FOXBOROUGH, Mass. —…
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Mike Reiss
Multiple Authors
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed reporters Wednesday for the first time since he missed Day 3 of the NFL draft, saying it was a decision he doesn’t regret.
Vrabel previously said his absence was a “personal and private matter” and part of a commitment to seek counseling starting that weekend in hopes of giving his family and the Patriots “the best version of me that I can possibly give them.”
Asked Wednesday how he would describe how the process of balancing family and football has unfolded, Vrabel said, “Really good. I appreciate that my family is great. I love Jen [Vrabel], I love the boys, I love my personal friends.”
Vrabel then pivoted his answer to football, as the Patriots are in the sixth week of their voluntary offseason program, which included their second organized team activity Wednesday.
Vrabel was also asked if he might be away from the team in the future.
“I can’t tell you anything other than I’m going to be out there today in full force,” he said. “So I’m going to focus on today and the excitement that we’ve had and that we’ve built so far.”
In early April, the New York Post published a series of photos that showed Vrabel and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini together at a resort days before the NFL’s league meetings in nearby Phoenix. Vrabel and Russini are both married to other people. Russini resigned on April 14.
Vrabel previously said he addressed players about the situation on April 20, which was the first day of the voluntary offseason program.
Asked Wednesday about how he feels he’s been able to mitigate any distractions, he said, “We all have to deal with things outside of here. My focus, and obviously the excitement that I have for coaching, is what is most important right now. This is a great opportunity.”
