New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had the full support of his quarterback just hours before the latest bomb dropped in his ongoing scandal involving NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
Drake Maye called Vrabel, 50, “a great human being” and stressed that he doesn’t think the off-field controversy involving his coach will be a distraction for the team moving forward.
“No, I don’t,” Maye, 23, told the Associated Press on Wednesday, May 6, following the Truist Championship Pro-Am in Charlotte. “I mean, he’s our head coach. I think he’s done a great job of talking to us and talking us through it. I’m just looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready.”
The quarterback added, “I know he’s got the right mindset … I love playing for him.”
Shortly after Maye’s comments, TMZ reported that Vrabel and Russini, 43, rented a private boat together in 2021 while Russini was pregnant with her first baby. Russini has been married to her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, since September 2020.
It has been a tumultuous month for Vrabel, who has been married to his wife, Jen, since 1999.
The scandal all started on April 7, when Page Six published photos of Vrabel and Russini looking cozy at a luxury resort in Arizona. Since then, multiple outlets have published additional pictures of the pair from over the years, including pics from Page Six of the two seemingly kissing at a bar in New York City in March 2020.
Vrabel and Russini both denied having anything other than a professional relationship when the first batch of pictures were published, but Vrabel briefly stepped away from the team to attend counseling last month.
“I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel said in a statement to ESPN on April 22. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.”
The Patriots organization and its players have supported Vrabel throughout the scandal, including previous comments made by Maye.
“We’re here for coach, we love coach,” Maye told Boston’s 7 News on April 29. “What he’s done for us this past year, you can’t speak into words.”
He added, “Thankfully, he’s our head coach and I know he’s doing some stuff off the field and out of the coaching world, but we’re here for him and I know he’s gonna come back.”
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