New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is learning the hard way that defending your coach in a media storm can backfire. The young signal-caller is facing immediate backlash after calling his embattled head coach Mike Vrabel a “great human being” amid a growing scandal involving NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
Vrabel and Russini—both married with children—have been photographed together at private locations multiple times, including an adults-only resort in Arizona earlier this year. The photos, which date back to 2020, 2021, and 2024, have sparked a media firestorm. Vrabel has since apologized but has returned to coaching.
Maye, who is also married, was asked about the situation and chose to support his coach. “No, I don’t. I mean, he’s our head coach. I think he’s done a great job of talking to us and talking us through it. I’m just looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready,” Maye told the Associated Press. “I know he’s got the right mindset and I know he’s a great human being… like I said, I love playing for him.”
Those words didn’t sit well with NFL fans, who took to social media to express their frustration. “Maye gotta stop supporting a bad person and focus on not stinking in big moments,” one fan wrote. Another added, “Bad judgement of character from the QB huh? Jeeesh.” Some fans compared Vrabel’s situation to other scandals, with one asking, “Is Tiger Woods a great person, too?” Others were more direct: “You know he’s lying. Great persons don’t do that.”
Not everyone piled on, though. A few fans defended Maye, noting he shouldn’t have to answer for his coach’s actions. “Oh man. Here come all the people to bash Drake because he said he’s a great human being,” one supporter wrote.
Maye’s comments come as the Patriots locker room tries to move forward. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez has already shut down the drama, saying simply, “That’s my coach.” Meanwhile, former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison has predicted the scandal will unite the locker room rather than tear it apart.
But the controversy isn’t going away. Prediction markets suggest Vrabel’s tenure with the Patriots could be at risk, and the fallout has already reached the quarterback’s doorstep. Maye, who is trying to establish himself as a franchise leader, now finds himself in the middle of a debate about loyalty, character, and judgment.
Whether Maye’s support for Vrabel helps or hurts his standing with fans remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: in the court of public opinion, the young QB is learning that defending a coach in crisis can be a risky play.
