Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe is making it crystal clear: Mike Vrabel should not lose his job over the recent scandal involving NFL insider Dianna Russini. On the latest episode of his Nightcap show, Sharpe took aim at fans and pundits who believe the Patriots head coach deserves to be fired.
“Those are people that worked at that institution. Now, in some situations, they have it, you can’t do that with an employee. If you’re a coach, you can’t mess with another employee or subordinate…Dianna Russini has to take that up with her husband, and Mike Vrabel is gonna have to take that up with his wife,” Sharpe said, via Awful Announcing.
The controversy erupted on April 7 when Page Six published photos of Vrabel holding hands with Russini at an Arizona hotel. Both denied any wrongdoing, but Russini resigned from her position at The Athletic, and Vrabel stepped away from the Patriots during Day 3 of the NFL Draft to undergo counseling. Upon his return Monday, speculation about his future reignited, with some calling for his immediate termination.
Sharpe, however, isn't buying it. “It’s a moral issue. You got two married people, two married consenting people engaging. What are you firing Mike Vrabel for? What is it that he did? What law or code? Some colleges have ethics or codes. So what code did he break? He broke his vows. Like I said, that’s between him and his wife. That’s between him and God. They’re not the same. Just being honest, guys…I just don’t see the correlation,” he argued.
While Sharpe’s stance is clear, others in the media aren’t so sure. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer noted that Vrabel hasn’t been the same since the story broke. “I can just tell you factually he has not been the same the last two weeks in that building. The sense I’ve gotten talking to people is that bravado and everything else, I think this has taken a chunk out of that,” Breer said. “I really like Mike personally – I’ve covered him for a long time. I think deep down he’s a good guy with a good heart. I would say it’s like what you don’t want is that version of Mike Vrabel walking around for the next six weeks until summer. You want to find a way to get the full Mike Vrabel back.”
Despite the chatter, there’s no indication the Patriots are planning to move on from Vrabel. However, the Daily Mail reported that Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin would be New England’s top replacement candidate if Vrabel steps down. For now, Vrabel is expected to lead the team into the fall.
In the meantime, Vrabel’s wife, Jen, broke her silence on the scandal, still wearing her wedding ring. Meanwhile, Patriots players have tried to deflect the drama, insisting they only talk football. And some fans are even wondering if a comment about the Vrabel-Russini situation cost Chris Simms his NBC gig.
As the offseason unfolds, one thing is certain: Sharpe’s voice adds a powerful counterpoint to the growing calls for Vrabel’s head. Whether the Patriots front office agrees remains to be seen.
