New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel will not be available to the media during the team’s pre-draft preparations this year, unlike last season when he held a pre-draft press conference on April 15, 2025 according to Pro Football Talk.
Vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf is scheduled to conduct the Patriots’ pre-draft press conference Monday at 2 p.m. ET inside the team’s new New Balance Athletic Center, according to ESPN. Vrabel is not expected to address reporters until after the 2026 NFL Draft.
The move comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Vrabel following the publication of photographs showing him with The Athletic NFL reporter Dianna Russini at the Ambiente resort in Sedona, Arizona. The images, published April 7 by the New York Post’s Page Six, appear to show the two holding hands, hugging on a rooftop deck and spending time together poolside and in a hot tub during a visit two weekends earlier.
Both Vrabel and Russini, who are married, have described the interaction as “completely innocent.” Vrabel called any suggestion otherwise “laughable,” while Russini said the photos do not represent a larger group of six people who were hanging out during the day and lack essential context.
The Athletic has launched an internal investigation into Russini’s coverage of Vrabel and the nature of their relationship. She has been sidelined from reporting while the review is ongoing, sources familiar with the matter told ESPN.
Vrabel has otherwise spoken with reporters at recent league events, including the NFL league meetings in Phoenix earlier this month and the NFL Combine in February.
The Patriots hold the No. 31 overall pick in the first round after returning to the playoffs in 2025 under Vrabel. Wolf and the personnel staff have been leading much of the public discussion on draft strategy in recent weeks.
Flip the pages for photos of Vrabel and Russini together.
