Mike Vrabel’s wife is Jen Vrabel, married to him since 1999. They met at Ohio State, where both played sports, and they have two sons, Tyler and Carter.
They are still together, and every public appearance since April points the same way, even though neither has given an interview about the marriage.
The questions started with photos. In April the New York Post published pictures of Vrabel with Dianna Russini, then an NFL insider for The Athletic, at a resort in Arizona. Within about two weeks Russini had resigned and Vrabel had announced he was starting counseling.
Who is Jen Vrabel?
Jen Vrabel, Jennifer on her own Instagram account, is Mike Vrabel’s wife of 27 years and the mother of their two sons, Tyler and Carter. She and Vrabel were college sweethearts at Ohio State, where both were athletes, and they married in 1999, two years into his NFL playing career.
That playing career ran through three Super Bowl wins with the Patriots, and the coaching career that followed brought him back to New England as head coach in 2025. In February she was in the stands at Levi’s Stadium for Super Bowl LX, the game the Patriots lost to Seattle at the end of his first season in charge.
The Dianna Russini photos and what Vrabel said
The New York Post published the photos on April 7, 2026. They showed Vrabel and Russini together at an adults-only resort in Arizona in the days before the NFL’s annual league meetings.
Vrabel’s first response denied anything improper. “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response,” he said, as quoted by CBS News Boston.
Russini resigned from The Athletic on April 14. “I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” she wrote in her resignation letter.
By April 21 his tone was different. Speaking to reporters at Gillette Stadium, Vrabel said: “I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players. Those have been positive and productive.”
The next night he went further. Vrabel told ESPN he would miss the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft to begin counseling. “I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” he said, adding that it was what he had to do “to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be.”
Read in order, his public statements moved from “laughable” when the photos came out to counseling fifteen days later.
Are Mike and Jen Vrabel still together?
Mike and Jen Vrabel are still married, and neither has announced a separation. The public record since April shows them together: Jen wearing her wedding ring in late April, the couple celebrating a son’s engagement in June, and Vrabel describing counseling as part of his commitment to his family.
TMZ photographed Jen at the airport on April 28 with the ring on. “Eagle-eyed observers noticed the ring was still firmly on her finger,” the outlet wrote.
On June 8, Page Six ran the first photos of the two together since the story broke, taken as they celebrated one of their sons’ engagement.
The counseling question came back in August. At an August 11 training camp session, ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler asked Vrabel what he had learned from it. He answered in team terms: “As we talk about getting ready for the next season, we always look at improvement and ways that we can improve individually and how we can improve as a team. It’s really critical that we continue to do that on and off the field.” He did not describe the counseling itself, Sports Illustrated reported.
He had already drawn that line in April: “There are comments and questions that I’ve answered for the team and with the team. We’ll keep those private.”
FAQ
Is Mike Vrabel married with kids?
Yes. Mike Vrabel has been married to Jen Vrabel since 1999, and they have two sons, Tyler and Carter. The family celebrated one son’s engagement together in June 2026.
How did Mike Vrabel meet his wife?
Mike Vrabel met Jen at Ohio State University, where both were college athletes. He played defensive end for the Buckeyes before the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him in 1997, per his Wikipedia profile, and the couple married two years later.
Who is Dianna Russini?
Dianna Russini is a former NFL insider for The Athletic. She resigned on April 14, 2026, a week after the New York Post published photos of her with Mike Vrabel at an Arizona resort.
