Mike Vrabel, Dianna Russini scandal could end up impacting the New England Patriots’ 2026 schedule release
The New England Patriots’ schedule will come out May 14. But it could be influenced by the ongoing scandal involving head coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
The Mike Vrabel-Diana Russini scandal keeps growing larger and larger as multiple media outlets drop more information just about every other day. And it could soon have an impact on what the New England Patriots’ 2026 schedule looks like. Particularly in Week 1.
Vrabel, Russini scandal could push the NFL away from an early Super Bowl rematch
Obvious but needed disclaimer: I’m just speculating here.
There’s no question that, in early May, the story surrounding the Patriots head coach is one of the biggest things going on in the world of football. If the trees looked like football season instead of spring, fans would have likely moved on by now. Instead, it’s what many are still talking about around the water cooler.
So on Friday, when the NFL announced it will make its annual schedule release on May 14, I couldn’t help thinking about the implications for the Patriots. Part of that is because I’ve long considered the Patriots one of the likeliest opponents for the Seattle Seahawks’ NFL Kickoff game.
A Super Bowl rematch could be precisely what the NFL needs to boost the hype for its first-ever Wednesday Kickoff game. The game will be played earlier than usual due to a Thursday matchup in Melbourne, Australia. By the way, the latter will take place between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, which immediately eliminates them as candidates to face the Seahawks.
With the two divisional opponents not being an option, I’d wager the likeliest candidates are the Patriots, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys.
Why the NFL could wish to avoid the Patriots in the Kickoff game
With the big announcement being under a week away, I can’t help but think about this being unfortunate timing for Vrabel’s Patriots. The NFL usually announces its Kickoff matchup earlier in the week to hype it up. It then becomes the biggest talking points for football fans for days.
Does the NFL want to draw that kind of attention to the Patriots given the circumstances? If the decision is close, I wouldn’t be surprised a wish to avoid the spotlight becoming even brighter becoming the tiebreaker.
It’s just a theory, and it may not matter in the end. But if the NFL wants the focus on Vrabel to go away, not settling on an immediate Super Bowl rematch is the way.