For probably the most half, New England Patriots gamers had been capable of keep away from publicly talking concerning the ongoing controversy involving head coach Mike Vrabel and longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
That modified on Tuesday when Patriots tight finish Hunter Henry and linebacker Robert Spillane have been made accessible to media members.
Hunter Henry declined to share what Mike Vrabel mentioned to Patriots gamers amid Dianna Russini controversy
Whereas addressing the crew behind the scenes forward of the 2026 NFL Draft, Vrabel reportedly apologized “for bringing undesirable consideration” and in addition “promised that he’d make it proper and do all he may to place the main focus again on the gamers.” On Tuesday, Henry insisted that Vrabel “did an ideal job” in that specific second.
“It’s been the identical Vrabes, bringing a number of vitality within the room, so, yeah, clearly, he addressed it. And, that’s all I’ll say about it,” Henry added about Vrabel’s message on April 20, per Karen Guregian of MassLive.
Russini resigned
from her position of masking the NFL for The Athletic not lengthy after photographs surfaced exhibiting her and Vrabel spending time collectively at an Arizona resort in late March. Final week, new pictures emerged exhibiting Vrabel and Russini sharing a kiss and “sitting very shut to one another” at a New York Metropolis bar in March 2020.
Vrabel spent the ultimate day of the draft away from the Patriots in order that he reportedly may take part in counseling. He returned to work on Monday.
“Coach coaches soccer,” Spillane mentioned. “[Vrabel] retains the primary factor the primary factor. I do know he’s coping with private points. However after we’re within the constructing, we communicate soccer.”
Will Mike Vrabel controversy affect his relationships together with his gamers?
Spillane was requested if the story that continues to hover over the Patriots all through this spring is impacting Vrabel’s relationships with New England gamers or his means to function a pacesetter for a crew that’s coming off a tricky Tremendous Bowl loss.
“I feel everybody’s private relationship with coach is their private relationship with coach,” Spillane responded. “That’s not for me to talk on. I like coach, and I’m going to be right here to assist him as he could be there to assist me for something.”
Lower than an hour earlier than the draft bought underway, Vrabel suggested he may miss extra than simply sooner or later of labor if he feels his “household wants” him. It stays unclear if he has every other absences deliberate as of the ultimate Tuesday of April.
“I do know you guys need to hear about every thing that’s occurring,” Henry acknowledged whereas fastidiously touching upon the Vrabel-related topic. “To be trustworthy with you, I’m simply centered on what we bought occurring proper now on this constructing with this crew. Clearly, we had a protracted season final 12 months. A fast turnaround into the offseason, and we’re in a brand new constructing. And yearly’s a brand new 12 months. We’re making an attempt to construct this crew, we’re making an attempt to return collectively. So I’m simply centered on the blokes on this locker room and making an attempt to construct it up once more. We’ve bought a protracted journey forward of us. We’ve bought to begin someplace. So we’re beginning proper now.”
Tuesday was solely the start because it pertains to New England gamers being requested questions on a subject they probably can be reluctant to discuss over the following handful of days, weeks and months.
