Mike Tomlin didn’t dive into the mess - but he made the football point plain enough.
While joining NBC’s coverage of the Hall of Fame game between the Cardinals and Panthers on Thursday, the former Steelers coach weighed in on the noise surrounding Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and how quickly that noise can either fade or explode once the season begins. The backdrop has been an offseason dominated by the alleged affair scandal involving Vrabel and insider Dianna Russini, a story that intensified after the pair were photographed together at a private resort in Sedona and additional photos surfaced, some dating back to 2020.
Tomlin and former Patriots safety Devin McCourty discussed the Patriots’ Week 1 Super Bowl rematch against the Seahawks during halftime, with McCourty pointing to the pressure that will come immediately in Seattle.
"I think the thing you got to wonder is, that's gonna start in Week 1 in Seattle," ex-Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. "That atmosphere, they look for Mike Vrabel.
They look to him when things get tough? Would they still feel the same way?
His character's been tested. Will this team follow him wherever he goes?
That's going to be tested right away in Week 1."
Tomlin followed that up with the simplest truth in the league: win, and people quiet down.
"When games start, winning matters," Tomlin said. "And so, if they get off to a fast start, they got a chance to quiet some of that noise. If they don't, that noise will get really loud."
The controversy has already had real fallout. Russini resigned from The Athletic after the backlash, while Vrabel sought counselling and missed the third day of the NFL draft.
There had also been questions about whether the scandal could affect Vrabel’s standing in New England, but owner Robert Kraft moved to back his coach publicly last month. Speaking on ESPN’s "First Take," Kraft praised Vrabel’s football mind and his connection with players.
"We’re privileged to have Mike as our head coach,” Kraft said as per NBC Sports. “No one is infallible.
What’s great about Mike is he has great intellectual knowledge about football - all the technical skills - [and] he relates to the players beautifully. He’s someone I have a strong belief and faith in.
I hope he’s going to be our head coach for many years to come."
Vrabel led the Patriots to their first AFC championship since 2018 last season, but Seattle got the better of them in Super Bowl LX, winning 29-13. The two teams will meet again to open the 2026 season on Sept. 9.
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