New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel will miss Day 3 of the NFL Draft on Saturday as he seeks counseling, he told ESPN.
“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel told ESPN’s Mike Reiss Wednesday night. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would
advise a player to do if I was counseling them.
“I have always wanted to lead by example and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
Vrabel addressed the media on Tuesday for the first time since the New York Post published photos of him embracing and holding hands with former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at a resort in Arizona earlier this month.
“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” said Vrabel, who called it a “personal and private matter” in his statement. “Those have been positive and productive. I believe in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. That starts with me.”
Vrabel, who has two sons with his wife, Jen, will spend the weekend with his family outside of Massachusetts, according to ESPN. The coach shared that he will remain in contact with the team on the final day of the draft and “expressed confidence in executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden to lead the draft room.”
New England currently enters the weekend with 11 total selections. Eight of those picks are on Day 3 of the draft.
