Every May, NFL schedule release day doubles as the league’s most chaotic social media event. Teams go all-out, producing meme-packed videos that announce their 17-game slate and the most entertaining ones tend to take shots at opponents or league-wide controversies.
It is usually the one time when the league lets teams mock opponents and off-field drama without penalty. This year, they do not have to look far for material, as the Mike Vrabel andDianna Russinicheating scandal is still making the rounds online.
Because the NFL made it clear they have no intention of getting involved, every team got the green light to crack jokes about the drama until any new rule came from the league’s big heads.
NFL refuses to censor schedule materials amid Mike Vrabel–Dianna Russini drama
With TMZ Sports, New York Post and People still dropping new steamy elements of Vrabel and Russini, it was assumed that the NFL might step in to declare the story off-limits for Thursday night’s releases.
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According to Front Office Sports, the leagueconfirmedit is “not reviewing videos in advance,” leaving all 32 clubs free to control their content from start to finish.
The NFL will not be reviewing team’s videos for jokes surrounding New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel ahead of Thursday night’s annual schedule release, per Front Office Sports.
The league is letting teams use their own judgment regarding potential content about Vrabel’s… pic.twitter.com/qfQwmPlrwU
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 14, 2026
Vrabel and Russini were previously seen together at a casino in 2024 and on a private boat trip in June 2021, while Russini was seven months pregnant with her first child.
The controversy escalated this spring when photos surfaced of the married pair together at the adults-only Ambiente Resort in Sedona, Arizona. The former NFL reporter went absolutely radio silent after resigning from her job.
For now, the league views the matter as a localized issue. A source told Front Office Sports that the NFL only mandates messaging around structural topics like labor negotiations or officiating. If rival teams choose to mock Vrabel, the league feels it does not need to mediate.
Charles Barkley’s “Inside the NBA” on ESPN already went there by showing Vrabel and Russini in the pose made famous by the movie Titanic. That opened the door. Now, with the league declining to police it, any team with the Patriots on the schedule can mock the Patriots and their head coach in the worst way possible for months.
Still, social media staffers must balance the urge to troll with locker room respect, as many coaches and players have publicly rallied to support Vrabel. Moreover, the NFL never tolerates any disrespectful act toward its assets. So, we can expect a big change once the dust settles.