Once again, Patriots fans are standing behind their scandal-ridden coach.
Mike Vrabel received a standing ovation at a season-ticket holder event on Tuesday as he deals with the revelation of the nature of his relationship with NFL insider Diana Russini.
The coach, fresh off a run to the Super Bowl in his first season helming the New England franchise, where he won three championships as a player, has been the subject of headlines and questions since Page Six published photos of him and Russini at an adults-only resort in Arizona earlier this month.
While Russini resigned from her post at The Athletic, Vrabel has had the backing of Patriots brass and the team’s fanbase — despite earlier images of the two, each married to different people — cozying up at a Manhattan bar in 2020, when he was coach of the Titans.
Ahead of last week’s NFL draft, Vrabel said he would miss the final day of the three-day event to seek counseling.
“I can only say that whatever my family needs, that’s what I’m going to provide,” Vrabel told reporters. “But I also understand what’s needed for me here. This is an exciting time. We just finished our first week. Guys are excited. I see leaders developing, the new players that we brought on to the team, and I’m confident that if I weren’t able to be here, that we have people in place that can support them and do those things. So, I’m not sure what’s going to be needed of me, but I just know that I’m going to take the necessary steps with the people that I care about. That’s my family and this team.”
Vrabel is far from the first Patriots figure to find themselves in the midst of a scandal. During his playing days, he was part of the 2007 Bill Belichick team that was discovered to have been videotaping opposing coaches’ signals during games.
In 2015, Vrabel’s former quarterback Tom Brady infamously found himself in hot water with the NFL for his role in the under-inflation game balls in what became known as “Deflategate.”
Vrabel addressed his players following the Russini revelations.
“I thought he did a great job,” tight end Hunter Henry told reporters at the Patriots’ voluntary offseason workout program this week. “He’s been the same Vrabes, bringing a lot of energy in the room.”
New England fans were seemingly happy to return the favor for their embattled coach.
