Vrabel Skips Draft for Counseling Amid Russini Drama

0:00On April 23rd, the New England Patriots coach Mike Rabel is skipping day three of the 2026 NFL draft to get some counseling. This comes right after a fresh wave of drama, with former reporter Diana Rossini. The team put out a statement backing his choice to step away, starting Saturday instead of being there for their picks. It all kicked off on April 8th when a photo dropped of Rabel and Rossini at a fancy hotel, sparking talk of a hookup. That led to her quitting the athletic on April 14th. Rabel dropped his own statement to ESPN on Thursday, confirming he'd missed the draft's final day. Patriots brass jumped in quick with their response, especially as the story blew up more. Fans and media are buzzing about how this personal mess hits the team's focus during draft time. Then Thursday hit with a bigger bombshell, a New York Post photo from March 11th, 2020, showing the two kissing at a New York bar, backed by an eyewitness. That old pick cranks up the heat on the whole saga. Rabel set to face the press after the pads grabbed their first pick at number 31 overall

1:03tonight. With eight picks waiting on day three, the spotlight stays locked on how he and the team navigate this moving forward. This has been NFL News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story.