New England Patriots
“We’re here for Coach, we love Coach and what he does for us, and has done for us this past year.”
Drake Maye vouched for Mike Vrabel on Wednesday night. AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper
April 30, 2026 | 5:18 PM
2 minutes to read
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has his franchise quarterback in his corner.
As Vrabel continues to come under scrutiny over the ongoing controversy between himself and former The Athletic NFL reporter Dianna Russini, Drake Maye offered up support for his head coach on Wednesday evening.
“We’re here for Coach, we love Coach and what he does for us, and has done for us this past year,” Maye told WHDH’s Jonathan Hall on Wednesday. ”You can’t speak it into words, and thankfully, he’s our head coach. We know he’s dealing with 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.”
Vrabel has found himself at the center of many headlines over the last few weeks after the New York Post’s Page Six gossip column first published photos of Vrabel holding hands and embracing Russini at an Arizona resort earlier this year.
Page Six published more photos of Vrabel and Russini in the following weeks, including one of Vrabel appearing to kiss Russini at a New York bar in March 2020. Russini announced her resignation from The Athletic on April 14.
Just before those latest rounds of photos were published, Vrabel announced on April 22 that he would not be with the Patriots for Rounds 4-7 of the NFL Draft in order to spend time with his family, while also seeking counseling.
Speaking to reporters at the Patriots’ new team facility next to Gillette Stadium on April 23 before Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, Vrabel acknowledged that he had failed to meet the standard he set for himself.
“I want to address the news regarding my current situation,” Vrabel said. “I understand that there are questions, but I take accountability for my actions, and the actions that have caused a distraction to the people I care most about: My family, this football team, the organization, and our fans.
“My previous actions don’t meet the standard that I hold myself to. They don’t,” he added. “And what I believe is best for the two most important things in my life, my family and this football team, is for us to take the necessary steps to work together, and to give them what I told them I’d give them, which is the best version of me. That’s what we’re going to do.
Vrabel was reportedly back at the team facility on Monday.
Maye is not the first leader in New England’s locker room to offer up support for Vrabel.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, team captains Robert Spillane and Hunter Henry also vouched for their head coach while turning the page to a new football season.
“Coach coaches football. He keeps the main thing the main thing,” Spillane said. “I know he’s dealing with personal issues. But when we’re in the building, we speak football.”
“I know you guys want to hear about everything that’s going on. To be honest with you, I’m just focused on what we got going on right now in this building with this team,” Henry added. “Obviously, we had a long season last year. A quick turnaround into the offseason, and we’re in a new building.And every year’s a new year. … We’ve got a long journey ahead of us. We’ve got to start somewhere. So we’re starting right now.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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