Well, we have a new Patriots controversy -- and it's a weird one.
On Tuesday, the New York Post shared exclusive photos of New England head coach Mike Vrabel and The Athletic NFL insider Dianna Russini at the Ambiente, a luxury hotel in Sedona, Ariz. The photos, which were taken roughly two weeks ago, show Vrabel and Russini hugging, holding hands, and lying in a hot tub. Russini and Vrabel both are married, and the photos don't show any clear evidence of the two engaging in any blatantly romantic activity.
Vrabel attended a scouting event at Arizona State University the day before the photos were taken, and afterward went to Phoenix for the NFL owners meetings.
You can view the photos in the X post below, or visit the New York Post's story for higher-quality photos and more context.
New England Patriots’ Mike Vrabel and top NY Times NFL reporter Dianna Russini hold hands and hug at luxury hotel https://t.co/kgk6uoumOU pic.twitter.com/J2dtb6HuyA
— New York Post (@nypost) April 7, 2026
"A Page Six spy tells us that the pair — both married to other people — had breakfast on the patio of the hotel restaurant around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, before spending a leisurely hour or so together at the pool and lounging side-by-side in a hot tub," Oli Coleman of the Post wrote.
Our spy spotted Vrabel and Russini again that evening on the private rooftop of one of the hotel’s bungalows, which features glass walls offering panoramic views of the state’s famed Red Rock formations. ... The spy said they saw the pair briefly dance together."
Russini and Vrabel both told the Post they were at the hotel with groups of friends, who weren't shown in the photos. The Post's sources paint a different picture, however.
"A source close to Russini says she was staying at the hotel during a hiking trip with two female pals," Coleman wrote. "One of Vrabel’s friends told Page Six that they and the coach drove up to Sedona for the day with another pal and that they all drove back to their own hotel, some two hours away, after hanging out with Russini and her gang.
But three other eyewitnesses told us that they did not see anyone else with Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43. Asked if the Pats coach visited the hotel with a group of friends, one eyewitness said: 'No, he was with a girl.' And our sequence of photographs taken at various points during the day show only Vrabel and Russini."
Vrabel and Russini both provided statements to the post.
Vrabel: "These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response."
Russini: "The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues."
Russini has a well-documented history of covering Vrabel, including a stint as ESPN's Tennessee Titans reporter in the late 2010s. She's continued to publish sourced information on Vrabel and his teams in the years since.
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