Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said Mike Vrabel “has done a great job” of communicating with his team as the coach’s alleged relationship with former NFL insider Dianna Russini dominates headlines.
Maye explained that he doesn’t believe Vrabel’s off-field situation will be a distraction for the defending AFC champions this upcoming season while speaking to the Associated Press following the Truist Championship Pro-Am in Charlotte on Wednesday.
“No, I don’t,” Maye said at Quail Hallow. “I mean, he’s our head coach. I think he’s done a great job of talking to us and talking us through it.
“I’m just looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready.”
When asked whether the matter is something New England will need to put behind it before the season, Maye said, “I think that’ll take care of itself.
“I know he’s got the right mindset, and I know he’s a great human being. I think he’s … like I said, I love playing for him.”
TMZ reported Wednesday that Vrabel and Russini rented a private boat together in June 2021, just months before she gave birth to her first child.
The pair’s signatures — as seen on the documents to rent the boat published by the outlet — are seen as the only participants on the vessel, where they spent two to three hours in Putnam County, Tenn.
Russini was covering the Titans for ESPN and Vrabel was head coach of the team at the time.
Vrabel and Russini were “cautious about photos being taken” — with Russini refusing to take photos with staff, and Vrabel allowing one snapshot to be taken and requesting not to post it publicly.
Russini was pregnant at the time with her and husband Kevin Goldschmidt’s first child. She gave birth to her first son on Aug. 7, 2021, and named him Michael.
Dianna Russini/Instagram
Vrabel and his wife Jen have been married since 1999 and have two sons together.
Page Six broke the story and published photos on April 7 showing Vrabel and Russini holding hands while at a resort in Arizona in March.
Other photos showed the pair hugging on a private deck and talking while sitting in a hot tub together.
AP
Vrabel addressed the situation with reporters ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft and said he discussed it in-house with his players.
The Patriots have stood by Vrabel and supported him as he skipped Day 3 of the draft to seek “counseling” and focus on himself.
Russini resigned from The Athletic on April 14, and the outlet’s parent company, The New York Times, is in the midst of an internal investigation on the matter.
© Page Six
Page Six published more photos of Vrabel and Russini on April 23, appearing to show the pair kissing while at a Tribeca Tavern in Manhattan in March of 2020, when he was coaching for the Tennessee Titans and she was an NFL insider at ESPN.
This was the second time Maye — entering his second season under Vrabel after reaching Super Bowl 2026 in February — was asked about Vrabel’s off-the-field issues.
The quarterback said “we’re here for coach” while at an event for Best Buddies, a non-profit for helping those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), last week in Massachusetts.
The Patriots will host a three-day rookie minicamp beginning Friday in Foxborough, Mass.