America has gone into meltdown after bombshell images emerged of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and former The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini kissing at a New York City bar.
The image has sparked chaos, with Vrabel holding an unplanned press conference just minutes before the NFL Draft on Friday morning AEST as the drama steals the attention away from the top college prospects in the country.
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In pictures exclusively obtained by the New York Post today, Vrabel and Russini were spotted together inside a bar in the early hours of March 11, 2020.
“They were kissing and they were all over each other,” an eyewitness told the New York Post. “He had a ring on.
“They were having a glorious time. They were (giving each other) pecks, a bunch of pecks constantly.
“There was nobody in there. Nobody knew who they were. I don’t even think the bartenders did.”
Russini reportedly married her now-husband, Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt, just six months after the photos were snapped. The pair share two children.
Vrabel married his wife, Jen, in 1999, and they have two sons together.
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At the time the pictures were taken, Russini was working for ESPN and Vrabel was coaching the Tennessee Titans.
The photos were snapped six years before they were spotted in compromising photos at an Arizona resort, sparking the saga.
The pair were seen holding hands and hugging at the luxury hotel in March, with photos of their interaction first released in April.
After the initial report, Vrabel said the pictures showed a “completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”
While Russini said: “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day”.
The 43-year-old reporter has since resigned from The Athletic, while Vrabel has stepped away from the duties during the final round of the NFL Draft to seek counselling and be with his family.
However, such is the media frenzy that Vrabel has opted to hold a press conference at 9.20am AEST, just 30 minutes before the NFL Draft gets underway.
Draft Day is one of the most exciting days on the NFL sports calendar, but instead of speaking about where the top prospects in the country will be drafted, most of the attention is firmly on Vrabel.
Yet while there was speculation he might resign, Vrabel gave no indication that is even a thought on Friday morning AEST.
The Patriots coach said the focus should instead be on his team and vowed to “complete that promise” to give the Patriots and his family “the best version of myself possible”.
He also added that his “previous actions don’t meet the standard that I hold myself to”.
Vrabel said this will be the last time he speaks publicly about the Russini situation and for now his focus is on providing support to his family.
“My priorities are my family and this football team. In that order… My family needs me this weekend, and that’s where I’ll be,” he said.
When asked if he’ll miss any other football duties after pulling out of the team for Day 3 of the draft he said, “I can’t answer that… Whatever my family needs that’s what I’m going to provide.
“I just know I’m gonna take the necessary steps with the people I care about. That’s my family and this team.”
While it might be the last time he speaks about it, it hasn’t stopped internet sleuths from continuing to try and dig up dirt, with one tweet in particular from Russini doing the rounds on Friday.
Days after giving birth to her son, named Michael, Russini tweeted: “Keep looking at my almost 4 day old son Michael while trying to figure out who are the best Michaels to ever play and coach in the NFL?” Russini wrote on X.
That post, on August 2011, is just over a year after the pair were caught kissing in a New York bar.
The tweet has been retweeted more than 8,000 times and it has more than 2,500 comments, with the NFL world losing its mind.
“Finding out your kid was named after your wife’s lover may be the worst part of all of this, really only one way it could be worse,” American sports fan Jon Reed wrote, retweeting the post.
Zach Gelb said “Oh lord”, Jim Murray wrote “Ooof”, and Barstool Sports’ Eric Hubbs added, “How is this real”.
While another tweet of hers from the day after the pair were spotted at the bar has also gone viral.
The tweet simply said: “What a day …”, but it has been inundated with comments and retweets, speculating what she could be referring to.
And as her previous tweets were shared at a rapid rate, Russini made the decision to deactivate her X account on Friday morning AEST.
It comes as TMZ released the first images it has obtained of Vrabel and Russini together.
The media outlet published a picture of Vrabel and Russini at a Mississippi casino in January 2024, in the weeks after his firing by the Titans.
While the photo itself is innocuous, the TMZ source claims that they assumed the woman by his side was his wife based on their interactions.
“A witness tells us they snapped the pic when they recognised Vrabel … and assumed at the time that the woman by his side was his wife based on their body language,” TMZ reports. “They didn’t realize until the recent bombshell news that the lady was actually Russini.”
TMZ adds that the source “didn’t see any PDA,” but that “the two were quite comfortable together, drinking and chatting with other gamblers … and when Vrabel left the roulette table to play some blackjack, Russini followed … but sat across from him.”
Russini spent eight years at ESPN beginning in 2015 before accepting the lead NFL insider role at The Athletic in 2023.
While working for ESPN, she was among the reporters tasked with covering the Tennessee Titans, where Vrabel worked as head coach from 2018 to 2023.
He would later accept the head coaching role at the New England Patriots in 2025 and would take them to the Super Bowl in his very first year in charge.
Russini filed many exclusive and accurate stories relating to the Titans and the Patriots while Vrabel was coaching those teams.
However, the NFL has confirmed it will not be investigating New England Patriots head coach under the personal conduct policy.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told ESPN: “No, this is not a personal conduct policy, as we know today”.
“It’s a personal matter, and we’ll leave it at that.”
The controversy, however, could see the NFL explore implementing anti-fraternization rules that prevent league and team personnel from having close relationships with reporters.
Fernando Mendoza goes No.1 as expected
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has become the Las Vegas Raiders’ franchise quarterback under new head coach Klint Kubiak.
The promising quarterback becomes the first Hoosier drafted in the first round since 1994.
He will likely start as the back-up quarterback behind veteran Kirk Cousins.
Mendoza updated his Linkedin immediately to announce the news, with the Raiders commenting, “A businessman”.
Round 1 picks:
1. Las Vegas Raiders – Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
2. New York Jets – David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
3. Arizona Cardinals – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
4. Tennessee Titans – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
5. New York Giants – Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
6. Kansas City Chiefs (from Browns) – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
7. Washington Commanders – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
8. New Orleans Saints – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
9. Cleveland Browns (from Chiefs) – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
10. New York Giants (from Bengals) – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
11. Dallas Cowboys (from Dolphins) – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
12. Miami Dolphins (from Cowboys) – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
13. Los Angeles Rams (from Falcons) – Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
14. Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami
16. New York Jets (from Colts) – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
17. Detroit Lions- Blake Miller, OT, Clemson
18. Minnesota Vikings – Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
19. Carolina Panthers – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
20. Philadelphia Eagles (from Cowboys via Packers) – Makai Lemon, WR, USC
21. Pittsburgh Steelers – Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
22. Los Angeles Chargers- Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
23. Dallas Cowboys (from Eagles)- Malachi Lawrence, Edge, UCF
24. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars) – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
25. Chicago Bears – Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
26. Houston Texans (from Bills) – Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech
27. Miami Dolphins (from 49ers) – Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
28. New England Patriots (from the Bills via Texans) – Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
29. Kansas City Chiefs (from Rams) – Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
30. New York Jets (from 49ers via Dolphins via Broncos) – Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
31. Tennesee Titans (from Bills via Patriots) – Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn
32. Seattle Seahawks – Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame