Mike Vrabel back with Patriots after leaving for counseling amid Dianna Russini controversy
Vrabel was reportedly spotted shopping for an "apology present" while away.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel returned to work on Monday after he left the team over the weekend to seek counseling amid mounting controversy surrounding the release of several photos that showed him with former NFL reporter Dianna Russini. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Vrabel returned to Foxborough to resume his duties with the Patriots after he missed the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft. After missing Day 3 of the NFL draft to be with his family, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is back at work with the team today.
pic. twitter. com/y1zhwJvHpR — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 27, 2026 On Thursday, just hours after additional photos of Vrabel and Russini surfaced , Vrabel announced at a news conference that his focus would be on his family and taking accountability for his actions, which he said have created a distraction.
“My priorities are my family in this football team and in that order,” Vrabel said. “There’s a balance there that I am going to create, and my family needs me this weekend, and that’s where I’ll be,” Vrabel said. During his time away from the team, Vrabel was spotted shopping at a Salt Lake City store called Hip & Humble, the New York Post reported .
EXCLUSIVE PICS: Mike Vrabel was spotted buying a gift — apparently for his wife — in Utah just days after Page Six published cozy photos of him and sports reporter Dianna Russini at a bar in 2020. 📸: LionsShareNews / BACKGRID https://t. co/muxF3DzURf pic.