Patriots’ Mike Vrabel was never expected at team’s pre-draft press conference

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was never scheduled to be at the team’s pre-draft press conference on Monday, a team spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital on Sunday.

Vrabel’s absence coincided with the scrutiny he’s received after he appeared in photos published in Page Six last week showing him and NFL reporter Dianna Russini being questionably close together.

However, the Patriots issued a notice to reporters in March that Vrabel wouldn’t be at the pre-draft press conference. ESPN reported that Vrabel isn’t expected to talk to reporters until the draft. Patriots executive Eliot Wolf will hold the pre-draft news conference at 2 p.m. ET on Monday.

The NFL is more than a week away from welcoming in the next crop of college football talent into the league. The Patriots have the No. 31 pick in the first round, which begins on April 23.

While The Athletic initially defended Russini, sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that the journalist was being investigated.

“After Page Six reached out to Dianna for comment on Tuesday, The Athletic immediately began an investigation. While the apparent conduct in the photos raised questions for Steven and leadership at The Athletic, an initial review suggested the images provided lacked context, specifically the presence of a larger group of friends,” a source said.

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“New details from the Page Six report and information from the investigation raised additional concerns that are now being further reviewed. The investigation is ongoing.”

The source added Russini’s coverage is being reviewed, which is expected to take time, and she will not be reporting for the outlet in the meantime.

The New York Times declined to comment.

The photos showed Vrabel and Russini holding hands and hugging on the roof of the Sedona resort.

Vrabel defended himself in a statement to Page Six.

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“These photos show a completely innocent interaction, and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response,” he said.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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