NFL fans have slammed Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and accused him of using a puppy in press conferences to ‘deflect’ from his affair scandal.
Controversy surrounding the New England coach erupted in March when the New York Post published suggestive photos of Vrabel fraternizing with The Athletic’s former reporter, Dianna Russini, at a $2,500-a-night, adults-only retreat in Arizona.
While the married Russini has denied any wrongdoing and stood by her reporting on Vrabel, she was later placed on leave at The Athletic before ultimately submitting her resignation to the website’s parent company, The New York Times.
Vrabel, meanwhile, has returned to his duties in New England and, as part of that, addressed the media on Friday as the Patriots got their training camp underway.
However, fans could hardly focus on his answers after being distracted by the fact Vrabel arrived at the presser with a German Shepherd puppy – named BB – in tow.
It didn’t take long for many social media users to accuse Vrabel and the Patriots of attempting to use the adorable animal to ‘deflect’ from the Russini affair scandal.
NFL fans have accused Mike Vrabel of using a puppy to deflect from his recent affair scandal
While Dianna Russini denied any misconduct, Vrabel vaguely admitted to failing his family – after suggestive photos emerged showing to two at an adults-only resort in Arizona
The Patriots’ own social media post did little to help that. ‘A puppy at the podium,’ they wrote, alongside a ‘smiling face with hearts’ emoji.
It’s fair to say, their post didn’t go down well with fans. In response, one said: ‘PR team working overtime here for Vrabel.’
‘Pressers with puppies is the easiest way to: – disarm the tension in the room (which helps the speaker, in this case, Vrabel) – Softens the person’s image to the press (he can’t be that bad with a puppy right? – the thought).
‘The biggest problem (and why it doesn’t work) is in Vrabel’s case, we all see through it. Which then devalues the whole reason of having the puppy with you in the first place. Probably would’ve been better off just not doing the presser at all, if I were to guess.’
Another disgruntled fan said: ‘Please tell me we’re not going to have an NFL coach Herbstreit-ing a dog around all season because he’s in PR trouble, we have to start being adults about this’.
Meanwhile, one fan said: ‘Admin said he can’t be questioned while holding a puppy’.
‘Okay PR Crisis Control Team, game recognize game. Well-played,’ another said.
One user jokingly wrote: ‘Is that who he shares the doghouse with?’
Recently, Patriots owner Robert Kraft admitted that he has nothing but compassion for New England head coach Vrabel in the wake of the infidelity allegations.
Vrabel was later seen walking the puppy at training camp on Saturday afternoon
Vrabel and his wife Jen are pictured in 2025 when he was named Patriots head coach
Former reporter Russini pictured with husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, who she married in 2020
Speaking at Fanatics Fest in Manhattan on July 17, the 85-year-old billionaire was asked about the upcoming NFL season months after Vrabel admitted to failing the team and his family, albeit without directly admitting to an affair.
‘Well, we’re privileged to have Mike as our head coach,’ Kraft said of the reigning NFL Coach of the Year. ‘You know, no one is infallible. And what’s great about Mike is he has great intellectual knowledge about football – all the technical skills. He relates to the players beautifully.
‘And he’s someone I have a strong belief and faith in. And I hope he’s going to be our head coach for many years to come.’
In April, the Post published pictures purportedly showing Vrabel and Russini kissing at a bar in Manhattan in March of 2020. Russini married Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt in September of that year and has since given birth to the couple’s two sons.
The Daily Mail also published photos of Vrabel and a pregnant Russini renting a boat on a Tennessee lake in 2021, when he was coaching the Titans and she was reporting on the team for ESPN.
Speaking before the first round of April’s NFL Draft, Vrabel stopped short of confessing to an affair. However, he did admit to causing ‘a distraction to the people that I care most about, my family, this football team, the organization and our fans.’
He would ultimately miss the third day of the draft to attend a family counseling session.
