Patriots coach Mike Vrabel will miss part of NFL draft to seek counseling: Report
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel will miss part of the NFL draft as he plans to seek counseling this weekend, according to reporting by ESPN.
Vrabel will reportedly miss day 3 of the draft, which is rounds four through seven — meaning he will miss eight of the Patriots’ 11 draft picks this year, according to ESPN.
According to ESPN’s reporting, Vrabel says he plans to seek counseling this weekend, a promise he made to his family and the team following the photos released of him with former NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a resort in Arizona.
The photos show the two holding hands and embracing — but both Russini and Vrabel have denied any wrongdoing, calling the incident private and personal.
“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,” Vrabel told ESPN regarding his choice to seek counseling.
Vrabel has two sons with his wife, Jen.
He told ESPN that he will be in contact with the Patriots on Saturday for the last day of the draft.
Vrabel addressed the fallout over the photos during a media conference on Tuesday.
“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about — with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” he said. “Those have been positive and productive. We believe in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction.”
In an initial statement to the Post, Vrabel described the photos as a “completely innocent interaction,” noting that “any suggestion otherwise is laughable.” But conversation around the photos and their implication has persisted, and Russini recently resigned from The Athletic while citing a “media frenzy” surrounding the story. The NFL recently confirmed to USA TODAY that Vrabel isn’t facing any discipline from the league.
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