![\"Report:](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mike-tomlin-vrabel-replacement-russini.jpg?quality=65&strip=all\")
<\/p>\nThe Patriots could target Mike Tomlin as Mike Vrabel\u2019s replacement if fallout from the Dianna Russini photo story worsens, according to a new report Monday. The\u00a0New England Patriots\u00a0have given no public sign that Vrabel\u2019s job is in danger. Behind closed doors, according to the new report, however, the conversation has already turned to who would replace the coach who took the Patriots to the Super Bowl in his first year.<\/p>\n
A team insider told\u00a0Daily Mail\u00a0reporters Russ Weakland and Ben Nagle that owner Robert Kraft has begun eyeing potential successors in the event that the fallout from the Russini photo scandal becomes too damaging to contain. The name at the top of that list was Tomlin, the longtime\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0head coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Krafts are extremely loyal and have no intention of firing Mike, nor do they want to see him quit over all this drama,\u201d the insider told the\u00a0Mail. \u201cBut if these upcoming few months go haywire, and if they are put in a situation of no return, either with the team not doing well or the drama of Mike\u2019s family issues taking over and forcing a decision on Mike\u2019s coaching future, the one person that they would seek to replace him would be Mike Tomlin.\u201d<\/p>\n
The key takeaway: ownership does not want to fire Vrabel, but a contingency plan may already exist.<\/p>\n
Read More From Heavy<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Patriots Confront Mike Vrabel Firing Decision as Russini Scandal Sparks Odds<\/p>\n
Vrabel, the Patriots, and the Russini Scandal<\/p>\n
The controversy traces back to April 7, when\u00a0Page Six of the New York Post published\u00a0photographs of Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini together at the Ambiente resort, an adults-only property in Sedona, Arizona, where nightly rates exceed $2,500. The images showed the two embracing, relaxing poolside, and sharing breakfast alone. Both denied any improper relationship, and Vrabel called any allegations to the contrary \u201claughable.\u201d<\/p>\n
The\u00a0New York Times, parent company of\u00a0The Athletic\u00a0where Russini was an\u00a0NFL\u00a0reporter, launched an investigation.\u00a0Russini was subsequently placed on leave\u00a0before resigning from her position earlier this month, ahead of a contract expiration set for the end of June.<\/p>\n
In her exit statement, Russini pushed back on the storyline surrounding her departure.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode,\u201d she said, \u201cbut because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vrabel held an emotional press conference in which he acknowledged having \u201cdifficult conversations\u201d with people close to him and confirmed he had entered counseling. The Patriots organization issued a statement backing him and praising his decision to prioritize family and personal well-being.<\/p>\n
Read More From Heavy<\/p>\n
Mike Vrabel, Dianna Russini Photo Scandal Suddenly Takes New Turn<\/p>\n
Tomlin and One Complication That Could Block Patriots<\/p>\n
The possibility of replacing Vrabel instantly raises one major question: would Tomlin leave television for a fast-track return to coaching?<\/p>\n
Tomlin, 54, spent 19 seasons in Pittsburgh before stepping away after the 2025 campaign. He ranks among the winningest coaches in NFL history. He also delivered Pittsburgh its most recent Lombardi Trophy, winning Super Bowl XLIII following the 2008 season.<\/p>\n
Tomlin has since moved into broadcasting. NBC officially announced over the weekend that he will join \u201cFootball Night in America\u201d as an analyst for the upcoming NFL season, according to\u00a0Men\u2019s Journal\u00a0reporter Matt Audilet. That commitment introduces a meaningful obstacle to any Patriots pursuit. The\u00a0Daily Mail\u00a0source acknowledged that if Tomlin elected to stay in television, New England would shift its attention to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as a contingency option.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that is a situation that they don\u2019t even want to consider after initial thoughts,\u201d the insider said of the McDaniels scenario.<\/p>\n
The source was unambiguous that removing Vrabel is not what ownership wants. \u201cThe Krafts will ride it out with Mike Vrabel till the wheels fall off,\u201d the insider told the\u00a0Mail. \u201cThey are very much interested in putting all of this in the rearview.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the\u00a0Daily Mail\u00a0source, Vrabel is now \u201cdrowning himself in work\u201d while hoping the scandal passes. His commitment to counseling is expected to continue for as long as it takes. The source also said Vrabel feels guilty over Russini\u2019s fate, with the longtime NFL reporter facing the possible end of her career over the ongoing story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Patriots could target Mike Tomlin as Mike Vrabel\u2019s replacement if fallout from the Dianna Russini photo story worsens, according to a new report Monday. The\u00a0New England… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":44463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n