{"id":2594277,"date":"2026-04-23T14:44:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/disgraced-nfl-coach-to-step-away-from-team-in-the-middle-of-draft\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T14:45:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T18:45:57","slug":"disgraced-nfl-coach-to-step-away-from-team-in-the-middle-of-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/disgraced-nfl-coach-to-step-away-from-team-in-the-middle-of-draft\/","title":{"rendered":"Disgraced NFL Coach to Step Away from Team in the Middle of Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdisgraced-nfl-coach-to-step-away-from-team-in-the-middle-of-draft%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2594277&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article reports on the New England Patriots\u2019 2026 draft plans amid a personal and professional controversy surrounding head coach Mike Vrabel. It notes that the Patriots lost the Super Bowl too the Seattle Seahawks in February and are now focusing on building their roster, with Vrabel temporarily stepping away to seek counseling in the aftermath of a scandal involving NFL reporter Dianna Russini.<\/p>\n<p>Vrabel says he is prioritizing the best version of himself for his family, the institution, and the team, and he views counseling as essential both personally and professionally. He will be away during this weekend\u2019s NFL Draft to address the fallout publicly and privately.<\/p>\n<p>The timeline described <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >includes sensational reports<\/a> from Page Six and others about Vrabel and Russini, both married to other peopel, at a Sedona resort, followed by denials and then Russini\u2019s resignation from The Athletic. Vrabel acknowledged arduous conversations with loved ones and others close to him, and new reporting suggested further controversy. Vrabel, who has been married for 26 years with two sons, plans to spend the weekend with his family outside Massachusetts.<\/p>\n<p>With Vrabel&#8217;s absence, the Patriots will rely on executive VP Eliot Wolf and VP Ryan Cowden to handle part of the draft. The NFL Draft is slated to take place in Pittsburgh, with rounds two and three on Friday and rounds four through seven on Saturday. ESPN reports that New England holds 11 picks, including many selections later in the draft, meaning Vrabel will miss the majority of the team\u2019s selections.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The AFC Champion New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the Seattle Seahawks in February.<\/p>\n<p>Now, as they build their 2026 roster, the Patriots must take a crucial step without embattled head coach Mike Vrabel.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/48566969\/mike-vrabel-seek-counseling-not-patriots-day-3-nfl-draft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESPN<\/a>, Vrabel will step away from the team during this weekend&rsquo;s NFL Draft to seek counseling as he deals with the fallout, both private and public, from a scandal involving NFL reporter Dianna Russini.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,&rdquo; Vrabel said late Wednesday. &ldquo;This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/olympian-fears-jail-after-negligence-comment-about-belarusian-staff-not-safe-for-me\/\" title=\"Olympian Fears Jail After \u2018Negligence\u2019 Comment About Belarusian Staff: \u2018Not Safe For Me\u2019\">coach added<\/a> that he regards counseling as essential for him both personally and professionally.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;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.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, the New York Post&rsquo;s Page Six published <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/married-nfl-coach-caught-female-reporter-week-insulting-player-christian-faith\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">photos<\/a> of Vrabel and Russini, both married to other people, spending time together at a resort in Sedona, Arizona.<\/p>\n<p>The eyebrow-raising photos showed the pair together in the pool and side-by-side in a hot tub. They also hugged and stood facing one another with their fingers interlaced.<\/p>\n<p>After the Page Six story broke, both Vrabel and Russini denied that anything inappropriate occurred.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, however, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/reporter-quits-nyt-sports-outlet-getting-caught-nfl-coach-resignation-letter-making-things-worse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Russini<\/a> resigned from her job at The Athletic, though she did so via a defiant-sounding resignation letter.<\/p>\n<p>Then, on Tuesday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/dismissing-scandalous-photos-nfl-coach-admits-difficult-conversations-family\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vrabel<\/a> admitted that the photos forced him to have &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-promotes-dei-pushing-air-force-officials\/\" title=\"Biden Promotes DEI-Pushing Air Force Officials\">difficult conversations&#038;rdquo<\/a>; with people close to him.<\/p>\n<p>Compounding the issue was a new story published Thursday in the New York Post&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/04\/23\/celebrity-news\/dianna-russini-and-married-mike-vrabel-caught-kissing-at-nyc-bar-taken-6-years-before-scandal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Page Six,<\/a> which contained images purporting to show the two kissing in a New York City bar, reportedly in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Vrabel and his wife of 26 years, Jen, have two sons together. The coach will spend this weekend with his family outside Massachusetts, according to ESPN.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the Patriots will turn to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flashback-former-ag-barr-initiated-spying-program-on-americans-back-in-1992\/\" title=\"FLASHBACK: Former AG Barr Initiated Spying Program on Americans Back in 1992\">executive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-defector-emails-pipeline-to-obama-admin-seen-as-currency\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden Defector Emails: &#039;Pipeline&#039; to Obama Admin Seen as &#039;Currency&#039;\">vice president<\/a><\/a> of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden to conduct part of the draft in Vrabel&rsquo;s absence.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/draft\/tracker\/2026\/prospects\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NFL Draft<\/a> will begin Thursday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rounds two and three will be held Friday.<\/p>\n<p>On Saturday, the draft will conclude with rounds four through seven.<\/p>\n<p>New England holds 11 picks, including eight from pick number 125 and later, which fall on Saturday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/draft2026\/story\/_\/id\/48423365\/2026-nfl-draft-new-england-patriots-updates-buzz-intel-picks-positions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESPN<\/a> reported. Vrabel, therefore, will not be in attendance for the vast majority of his team&rsquo;s selections.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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ESPN reports that Vrabel will pause his duties during this weekend\u2019s NFL Draft to seek counseling, amid fallout from a scandal involving NFL reporter Dianna Russini. Vrabel said he promised to give his family, the organization, and the team the best version of himself and that counseling is something he wants to pursue, both personally and professionally.<\/p>\n<p>The controversy centers on photos published by Page Six showing Vrabel and Russini-who are each married to other people-together at a Sedona resort, including moments in a pool and hot tub, and later touching and embracing. Both initially denied any inappropriate conduct, but Russini later resigned from The Athletic, and Vrabel acknowledged that the situation forced him to have difficult conversations with people close to him. A later NY Post Page Six report allegedly showed the pair kissing in a New York City bar in 2020. Vrabel and his wife Jen, who have two sons, will spend the weekend outside Massachusetts with family, while the Patriots rely on Eliot Wolf and Ryan Cowden to handle parts of the draft in his absence. The NFL Draft starts Thursday in Pittsburgh, with rounds 2-3 on Friday and rounds 4-7 on Saturday. New England holds 11 picks, including many later selections, and Vrabel will not be present for most of the team\u2019s picks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2594278,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mike-Vrabel-skips-NFL-draft.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[70371,4024,54105,7215,4633],"class_list":["post-2594277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-breaking-news-2","tag-coach","tag-draft-2","tag-nfl","tag-scandal"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mike-Vrabel-skips-NFL-draft.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2594277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2594277"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2594277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2594281,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2594277\/revisions\/2594281"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2594278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2594277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2594277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2594277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}