Ex-NFL Star Blasts Mike Vrabel’s Pre-Baby Boat Trip with Dianna Russini: A Controversy Unveiled

A former NFL star has taken aim at Mike Vrabel following reports tying the coach to a boat outing with Dianna Russini, who was reportedly pregnant at the time.

According to TMZ, Vrabel and Russini were connected to a boat rental back in June 2021, which lasted between two and three hours.

During this period, Vrabel held the position of head coach for the Tennessee Titans, while Russini served as ESPN’s beat reporter covering the team. It’s reported that they were the sole occupants on the vessel.

Expressing his disbelief on X, the ex-defensive tackle remarked, “Seven months pregnant, and Vrabel, you’re on a boat with another man’s wife!? I don’t care if Russini believed it was acceptable.”

He further speculated on the situation, adding, “You can only wonder what they were up to on that boat. Mike Vrabel, as a man, that’s just lame. She’s carrying another man’s child.”

An ex-NFL player criticized Mike Vrabel for his alleged boat trip with a pregnant Dianna Russini

Breiden Fehoko slammed Vrabel for being on a boat with another man’s wife while she was carrying her husband’s child: ‘I don’t even care if Russini freaky a** thought it was ok’

If the account is accurate, this rendezvous occurred about one year after Russini married her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt.

The report from TMZ adds that Vrabel and Russini were hesitant to have their pictures taken. The outlet claims Russini declined to have her photo taken with fans, while Vrabel agreed to a photo on the condition it wasn’t posted online.

Two months later, in August of 2021, Russini would give birth to the first of her two sons.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Russini and Vrabel for comment.

Rumors of an affair between the two began in March when the New York Post published photos of the NFL insider and current New England Patriots head coach hugging and hanging poolside at an adults-only Arizona resort.

Although both initially denied cheating on their respective spouses, Vrabel has since apologized for his ‘actions,’ while stopping short of specifically admitting to an affair. The married father of two adult sons briefly stepped away from the Patriots during April’s draft to go through counseling with family. 

The Post has since published photos of Vrabel and Russini enjoying breakfast together at the aforementioned Arizona resort and other pictures showing the two kissing at a New York bar, reportedly, in March of 2020.

Dianna Russini has covered Mike Vrabel since his days as Tennessee Titans head coach

Russini and husband Kevin Goldschmidt were married in New Jersey in September of 2020 

Furthermore, The Daily Mail has also published photos of Vrabel with Russini at a Biloxi, Mississippi casino in January of 2024.

The Russini-Vrabel fallout is still permeating the NFL and The Athletic, where she worked until her recent resignation.

Steven Ginsberg, the executive editor at website, finally addressed the matter during a late-April meeting with staff by admitting his messaging on the matter could have been better.

He also mentioned the investigation into Russini’s reporting that was previously reported by The Daily Mail and other outlets. That probe is being led by standards and editorial quality editor Mike Semel and it is expected to be lengthy, according to FOS.

Ginsberg did not take questions after addressing staff and spoke for about 10 minutes, according to Front Office Sports.

Another source told The Daily Mail that the speech was closer to five minutes and included Ginsberg’s compliments to The Athletic staff for their recent work. 

The New York Times declined to comment to The Daily Mail for this story.

Similar to Ginsberg, Vrabel has also done an about-face after initially calling the resort photos ‘laughable’ in a statement to the Post.

Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, for over two decades and they have two children

Vrabel admitted in a press conference that he was dealing with a ‘private and personal matter’ and that he needed to have ‘difficult conversations’ with his family.

Days later, Vrabel addressed media and announced he would miss the third day of the NFL Draft to attend a counselling session with his family.

‘I understand that there are questions, but I take accountability for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about, my family, this football team, the organization and our fans,’ Vrabel said prior to the first round of the NFL Draft.

‘That’s going to start, that has started, and that’ll continue this weekend and it’ll continue for however long it takes for me to give them and to complete that promise of giving them the best version of me possible.

‘My priorities are my family and this football team – and in that order – and there’s a balance there that I am going to create. My family needs me this weekend and that’s where I’ll be.’

On that Saturday, Vrabel and his family reportedly took a trip to Utah to attempt to clear the air.

Patriots’ billionaire owner Robert Kraft said they are fully supportive of Vrabel on Thursday

But as a source told The Daily Mail, the New England coach also feels remorse over Russini’s situation after she quit her job at The Athletic.

‘Mike feels terrible on many levels, especially since Dianna’s career is pretty much over, and that blood is on his hands,’ the source said. 

‘He feels terrible that he is responsible and that she may never be able to work again.’

They continued: ‘There happens to be so many emotions going through him right now that for whatever counseling he is taking part in will be a continued situation for the foreseeable future. 

‘All of this is not going to be fixed overnight. He has to get on the right page with himself, and everyone involved, and that is easier said than done, and we are currently on the bottom of that mountain.

‘He has a lot of climbing to do to get to the top of the mountain and on level footing. He’s hoping that the saying time heals all wounds is true. He’s resting his beliefs on that right now and drowning himself in work.’

Vrabel has been married to his wife Jen since 1999.