Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel is throwing a flag over reports that he canoodled with a New York Times NFL reporter.
The New York Post’s Page Six section ran photos of Vrabel and Dianna Russini, the Times reporter, interacting in Arizona.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Vrabel told the New York Post in a statement. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Vrabel and Russini, who are both married, are downplaying the photos.
Page Six posted photos of the 50-year-old NFL coach and Russini, the 43-year-old NFL reporter, sharing a hug and appear to be dancing at a Sedona hotel.
“The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day,” she told Page Six. “Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
In addition, the executive editor at “The Athletic” Steven Ginsberg told “Page Six” that, “These photos are misleading and lack essential context. These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at ‘The Athletic.’”
Material from Advance Local Media LLC, Visit al.com, was used in this report. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.