Days after Page Six published a cozy photo of him and sports reporter Deanna Russini at a bar in 2020, Mike Vrabel was spotted in Utah, possibly buying a gift for his wife.
As seen in new photos obtained exclusively by Page Six, the New England Patriots head coach purchased a gift that appears to be for Jen Vrabel at Salt Lake City International Airport on Saturday.
Mike still had his wedding ring on, so we looked at a store called Hip & Humble and found a light blue sweatsuit.
The former NFL linebacker – who revealed in a 2025 interview with The Athletic that he and Jen own a house in Park City, Utah, where they love to ski and celebrate holidays – was snapped considering loungewear before making a purchase.
Mike is said to have briefly looked at the matching set before pulling the item off the rack and walking briskly towards the register to check out.
He wore light jeans, a blue down vest, a matching undershirt, and accessorized with a baseball cap, black travel backpack, and Nike sneakers.
Jen was not photographed with Mike, and it is unclear whether the couple reunited at any point during the trip.
The former athlete resurfaced after the Russini scandal came to light, dramatically announcing he would sit out the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft, one of the biggest events in sports, to seek advice on how to be the “best version” of himself.
He remained with the team and entered the NFL Draft on Thursday and Friday before leaving Boston and flying to Salt Lake City. By Monday, Mike was back in the office, according to NBC Sports.
Mike’s acquisition of Jen comes shortly after Page Six published a new series of photos of the coach getting cozy with Russini at a New York City bar, six years before the photo scandal that rocked the NFL.
An eyewitness spotted the pair holding hands and showing affection at Tribeca Tavern at the time.
“They were kissing and crazy about each other,” a source told Page Six. “He was wearing a ring.”
At the time, Mike was already married to Jen, but Russini said “I do” to her current husband, Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt, just six months later. They each have two children with their respective partners.
The encounter happened while Mike was working as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, and the sportscaster was covering the team extensively as an NFL reporter for ESPN.
After Page Six published the images, Mike told ESPN that he would miss Day 3 of the NFL Draft to undergo counseling.
“As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization, and this team that I would give them the best version of myself that I could,” he said in part. “In order to do so, I have committed to counseling starting this weekend. This is something I have thought about a lot and if I were going to do counseling it would be something I would advise players to do.”
The Patriots told Page Six in a statement that they support his decision.
“The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to put his family first, as well as his own well-being. Mike has been transparent about his commitment to continue to be the best version of himself for his family, team and fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to live up to that commitment,” the team said.
“We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with the personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. Although he will not be in the facility on Saturday, we know the draft evaluation is complete and (football executive) Elliott Wolfe and his personnel staff are ready to execute the draft as scheduled this weekend.”
Russini, 43, and Mike, 50, were spotted at a bar in Manhattan six years ago, when Page Six obtained photos of them holding hands at a resort in Sedona, Arizona.
Photos currently making the rounds online show the two enjoying breakfast at Ambiente and relaxing by the pool and hot tub on March 28th. She was also spotted enjoying a private rooftop that can only be accessed from one of the two-person bungalows, which cost up to $2,160 a night.
Multiple witnesses told Page Six they were not attended by anyone, but Mike and Russini both claimed they were with friends who were simply not in the photos.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” Mike said in a statement to Page Six at the time. “I don’t deserve any further response.”
“The photo does not represent the group of six people hanging out together during the day,” Russini told Page Six in his own statement. “Like most journalists, NFL reporters interact with sources far away from stadiums and other venues.”
After the photo was published, The Athletic began investigating the situation, and the journalist announced his resignation on April 14.
“This media frenzy is proceeding at breakneck speed in disregard of the review process The Athletic is attempting to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and is unwilling to respond to a public investigation that has already caused more damage than I am willing to accept,” Russini said in a statement.
Mike spoke publicly about the scandal last week, saying at a press conference ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft that he wanted to tell his team before speaking to the public.
“I understand I could have talked to you sooner, but it was important for me to have the conversation with the players. We had a candid conversation yesterday as the offseason program begins and I look forward to everyone participating,” he said.
Mike also said he had “difficult conversations with people,” including “family, organization, coaches (and) players.” He described the meeting as “positive” and productive.
“We believe that to be successful on and off the field, you have to make the right decisions, and that includes me. It starts with me,” he continued. “We never want our actions to have a negative impact on the team. We never want to be a distraction. There are comments and questions that I have answered for and with the team. (We) will keep them private and keep them to ourselves.”
