rewrite this title NFL’s decision on Mike Vrabel regarding Dianna Russini controversy could backfire

The ongoing Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel saga has become the story of the NFL offseason, yet instead of trying to get ahead of the narrative, those inside the league office would rather it simply go away.

On Friday, ESPN’s Ben Strauss shared a detailed account of the scandal, which began when the New York Post published photos of Russini, an NFL insider who worked for The Athletic at the time, and Vrabel, head coach of the New England Patriots, at an adults-only hotel while in Arizona for the annual league meeting. The pictures showed Russini and Vrabel lounging at the hotel pool, including one with the two interlocking fingers and another as the pair hugged.

Russini and Vrabel, both married to other people, denied the photographs were anything more than a friendly interaction. While initially standing by the longtime NFL insider, The Athletic later launched an internal investigation, which is still ongoing, into the matter. Russini resigned from her position days later.

NFL’s Mike Vrabel decision could backfire

As the story unfolds, Vrabel’s ability to avoid scrutiny has itself become scrutinized. Per Strauss, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed the league isn’t looking into Vrabel’s conduct as it pertains to the league’s personal conduct policy, which Strauss notes contains a segment on “conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League.”

It’s that last part — “public confidence” — that’s most at stake as the plot thickens. Strauss reported that Russini and Vrabel “coordinated” their statements to the Post’s initial story, which seems like an odd response to a purportedly innocuous encounter. As the extent of their relationship comes into focus, it’s fair to question if Vrabel benefitted from Russini’s position as an insider. 

The NFL appears to be taking the position that if it looks the other way, the story will eventually fade out of the 24/7 news cycle. But unless The Athletic’s investigation reveals Russini and Vrabel’s relationship was wholly professional and breached no code of ethics, the controversy will only grow larger. So large that the NFL will be forced  to address it. The league might be better off getting ahead of the situation instead of possibly playing catch-up.

The NFL’s response, or lack thereof, is also questionable considering at the center is the head coach of the reigning AFC champions who are also one of the league’s more storied franchises. Commissioner Roger Goodell once destroyed evidence of the Patriots’ “Spygate” scandal, so who’s to say he wouldn’t do owner Robert Kraft a favor and do his part to try to sweep the biggest storyline of the offseason under the rug? 

Another coach on another team might not have been as lucky.

Since the Russini-Vrabel story first broke, we’ve been left with more questions than answers. Rather than get to the bottom of it, the NFL appears willing to find out future developments along with the rest of us.