‘It’s Laughable’: Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel Downplays Poolside Photos With Married NFL Reporter

Mike Vrabel is executing a different type of defense this week as the New England Patriots coach and former Super Bowl champ responds to photos capturing him in a pool with veteran NFL reporter Dianna Russini.

Vrabel and Russini, both married, were caught holding hands, hugging, and lounging in the water recently at a resort in Sedona, Arizona.

New England Patriots’ Mike Vrabel and top NY Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini hold hands and hug at luxury hotel https://t.co/BpPD0ScwBQ pic.twitter.com/xrdqqmgDUC

— Page Six (@PageSix) April 7, 2026

The pictures, first published by the New York Post’s Page Six, appear to show more than an off-the-record conversation between the NFL coach and the reporter for The Athletic, though both deny any wrongdoing.

“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Vrabel told the Post. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”

A “Page Six Spy” reported Vrabel and Russini had breakfast on the patio of the Ambiente Sedona luxury resort on March 28 before hitting the pool and lounging together in a hot tub.

Russini’s representative says she was in Arizona on a girls’ trip with a group of friends, though no one else is visible in the published images.

“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day,” Russini told The Post.  “Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”

Russini, who worked for ESPN for years before joining The Athletic, has been married to Shake Shack exec Kevin Goldschmidt since 2020. The couple has two young sons.

Vrabel has been married for more than two decades. They have two sons; the oldest played for the Atlanta Falcons.

The Patriots coach and NFL insider have a long professional history, too. Before taking over in New England, Vrabel spent six seasons as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, the team Russini regularly covered in Nashville during her time at ESPN.

The Athletic is standing by its senior NFL insider, who also hosts the “Scoop City: Inside the NFL” podcast.

“These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic, told The Post. “These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic.”

After the weekend in Arizona, both Vrabel and Russini attended the NFL’s annual meetings in Phoenix.

Russini later filed a report to The Athletic about her interactions with NFL coaches in Arizona. The first line of the piece reads: “The NFL offseason means … controversial headlines.”

The NFL offseason drama now involving Vrabel and Russini continues as the league moves toward Draft Day later this month.