Mike Vrabel's future with the New England Patriots is up in the air after details emerged of the head coach and Dianna Russini renting a 'private boat' together in 2021
11:14 ET, 07 May 2026Updated 11:14 ET, 07 May 2026
Head coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots during the AFC Championship Game
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New details continue to emerge surrounding Mike Vrabel's alleged affair with Dianna Russini(Image: Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Fresh details surrounding Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini’s past relationship have thrust the scandal back into the spotlight.
TMZ Sports reported on Wednesday that Vrabel and Russini booked a private boat together in Putnam County, Tennessee, in June 2021 and were the only passengers on board during a ‘2-to-3-hour rental.’ At the time, Vrabel was serving as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, while Russini, formerly of ESPN and The Athletic, was pregnant with her first child.
The report marks the latest development in the ongoing scandal between the New England Patriots coach and NFL insider, both of whom are married to other partners. It also intensified questions about Vrabel’s immediate future in New England.
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Following the report, traders on prediction market platform Kalshi shifted the odds for whether Vrabel will still be coaching the Patriots entering the 2026 NFL season.
Before the latest TMZ Sports bombshell, Vrabel was considered a strong shot to stay in his role. On May 5, Kalshi traders gave him an 81 percent chance to be New England’s head coach come Week 1, his highest probability since the market launched on April 23.
As of May 7, Vrabel is given just a 68 percent chance of being on the Patriots sideline at the start of next season.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at a press conference
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Some prediction market traders feel Vrabel could leave New England this offseason(Image: Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
In another Kalshi market, titled ‘Pro Football Coaches Out Before September,’ Vrabel’s odds jumped from 20 to 28 percent in the aftermath of the private boat report.
While traders still view Vrabel as more likely than not to remain in Foxborough, the newest details increased expectations that he could resign or be dismissed at some point this offseason.
The 2026 NFL season begins on Wednesday, Sept. 9, when the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks take on an opponent that is yet to be announced.
It could be the Patriots, who are slated to play in Seattle later this year in what will serve as a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which New England lost 29-13.
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Losing Vrabel would come as a massive blow to the Patriots. In his first season as head coach, he led the team to a 14-3 record and their first AFC East division title since 2019.
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Despite being stifled in the Super Bowl, New England had plenty of momentum going into the offseason, but that upward trajectory is at risk of being derailed with Vrabel’s future up in the air.
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