Super Bowl champion defends Mike Vrabel, New York Times reporter over leaked photos

McCoy defends Vrabel, Russini over Arizona photos

Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy defended New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and New York Times/The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini against criticism over leaked photos from a Sedona, Arizona resort. The images, published by the New York Post's Page Six, showed the two holding hands, hugging and sitting in bathing suits by a pool at a bungalow. McCoy dismissed concerns, stating they work together and the interaction raised no issues for him.

McCoy told TMZ Sports, "I like Mike, I love Mike. I mind my business. They work together." He added, "Everybody makes something big out of everything. He's a big-time coach, he's a big-time player. He was just in the Super Bowl, they got something to talk about. That's what happened. I ain't see nothing wrong with it." Both Vrabel, 50, married to Jen since 1999 with two sons, and Russini, 43, married to Kevin Goldschmidt since 2020 with two sons, denied wrongdoing. Vrabel called the photos a "completely innocent interaction" and "laughable" otherwise, while Russini said they misrepresented a group of six people and reflected normal journalist-source interactions outside stadiums.

Vrabel led the Patriots to the Super Bowl in his first season as head coach and earned NFL Coach of the Year for the second time. Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after more than eight years at ESPN. McCoy, 37, played 12 NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (six), Buffalo Bills (four), Kansas City Chiefs (one) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (one), rushing for 11,102 yards and 73 touchdowns in 170 games, while adding 518 receptions for 3,898 yards and 16 touchdowns. He won Super Bowls with the Chiefs in 2019 and Buccaneers in 2020.

Vrabel told the New York Post the matter deserved no further response. Russini emphasized routine off-site professional contacts among NFL reporters and sources.