Roger Goodell Breaks Silence on NFL’s Mike Vrabel Punishment Decision
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell finally addressed the scandal involving New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini.
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With Vrabel set to miss Day 3 of the 2026 NFL draft to deal with his personal matters, ESPN host Mike Greenberg grilled Goodell on why the league isn’t punishing Vrabel given the horrible optics of the situation.
“I’m going to ask you about the situation with Mike Vrabel and the Patriots,” Greenberg said, according to the Daily Mail. “He has announced that he will not be with the team on Saturday. He’ll be instead with his family and plans to seek counseling. The league has suggested that this is not a violation of the personal conduct policy.
“I want to make sure that I’m getting that exactly right. As of this point, based on what you know right now, this does not feel like a situation for the league to become involved in?”
Goodell replied: “No, this is not a personal conduct policy, as we know it today. It’s a personal matter, and we’ll leave it at that.”
Greenberg pushed further.
“Is that the kind of thing that typically you would talk with a team about?” he asked. “The Patriots seem to be handling that. I think a lot of fans would be wondering what, if any role, the NFL would have with something like that.”
“I think the teams handle these matters when they’re personal matters,” Goodell explained. “And they have a lot more information that can benefit everyone involved.”
