New England Patriots star Christian Gonzalez defended head coach Mike Vrabel after his and NFL reporter Dianna Russini’s photo scandal.
“We aren’t going to speak on what we talked about inside the building, but I mean, that’s my coach,” the cornerback told reporters at a press conference on Saturday.
“That’s who I go out and play for, and he’s proven what he can do as a coach. That’s my guy, and I’m right behind Vrabes any time of day.”
Gonzalez expressed his support for Vrabel after Patriots quarterback Drake Maye emphasized that he was standing by the coach.
“Yeah, we’re here for Coach, we love Coach,” Maye told WHDH-TV 7News last week.
“What he does for us, what he’s done for us this past year, you can’t speak into words, and just thankful he’s our head coach.”
Maye admitted that he was aware Vrabel was “dealing with some stuff off the field and out of the coaching world,” emphasizing that the team was “here for him.”
“I know he’s gonna come back,” Maye continued.
Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, came under heat after Page Six published photos of them holding hands at a ritzy resort in Sedona, Arizona.
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However, no one else was photographed with the journalist and Vrabel.
Russini resigned from her position at the Athletic as an NFL insider while Vrabel was absent for Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft to seek counseling.
Page Six later published 2020 photos of the two kissing and getting handsy at a New York City bar despite Vrabel being married to his wife, Jen, and Russini being engaged to her now-husband, Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt.
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