By admin 
Mike Vrabel has been at the center of a lot of drama this offseason.
The New England Patriots head coach has been embroiled in scandal with former NFL insider Dianna Russini. Vrabel and Russini were caught at an adults-only resort in Arizona prior to the league’s owner meetings. As the story moved forward, more photos and videos surfaced of their meetups over the years. Russini ultimately resigned from her position at The Athletic.
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Vrabel, who is married, announced that he was undergoing counseling and apologized for his behavior. However, he’s yet to really admit what he’s apologizing for. And, as he made another media appearance over the weekend, he had quite a shield with him.
Vrabel arrived to Friday’s press conference with a puppy in hand. It’s similar to when athletes bring their young children onto the press conference stage following a difficult loss.
Are you really going to ask them a tough question with a cute toddler (or in this case, puppy) in their hands?
Vrabel faces backlash for his press conference stunt
“This is so shameless,” one fan wrote.
“Classic work. I respect a man who knows the hits,” one fan added.
“As if he was going to get tough questions anyway…” one fan wrote.
“Only Patriots haters could refuse adorable puppies through the haze of their hatred,” one fan added.
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“Hope he comes with new distractions each press conference. Week 12 a mime will be behind him,” one fan joked.
Some, meanwhile, are defending him.
“They do the puppy thing every year. Nice try!” one fan added.
“They have a pet adoption event every year. You work for CBS Sports and can’t find that out? You’re shameless,” another fan wrote.
Vrabel is clearly wanting to put the scandal behind him, but it’s probably going to be a while before that happens for good.
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This story was originally published July 26, 2026 at 6:10 AM.