Getty

Patriots legend Rodney Harrison made the surprising claim that the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini scandal could bring New England closer together.

Patriots legend Rodney Harrison says the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini scandal could actually bring the New England Patriots closer together, a surprising claim given that the ongoing controversy has been widely described as a “distraction” for the Patriots, including by Vrabel himself.

Harrison was a hard-hitting safety and teammate of Vrabel on the Patriots from 2003 through 2008. He won two Super Bowls with the Patriots but is perhaps best remembered for allowing the infamous David Tyree “helmet catch” in Super Bowl XLII. Harrison on Sunday was quoted by MassLive‘s Karen Guregian speaking about the current atmosphere in Foxborough. While much of the NFL world focused on controversy, Harrison offered a sharply different view — arguing the attention surrounding Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini could strengthen locker-room chemistry and rally the Patriots around their embattled coach.

Rodney Harrison’s Surprising Take on Vrabel Scandal

The Vrabel-Russini story first broke on April 7 with a New York Post Page Six report, touching off weeks of tabloid coverage that included photographs of the pair at an adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona, and other locations. Vrabel has since acknowledged wrongdoing.

“I take accountability for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about — my family, this football team, the organization and our fans,” Vrabel said, as quoted by MassLive.

Harrison, now an NBC Sports NFL analyst, sees empathy as the bridge between coach and players. NFL players live with the same temptations and pressures that pulled Vrabel into the headlines, Harrison told Guregian, which is exactly why forgiveness is likely.

“They have a great deal of empathy. So I think they’ll understand, and they’ll forgive Mike. I think it’ll bring the locker room even closer together,” Harrison said, as quoted by Guregian.

NFL analyst Dontay Atkinson saw it entirely differently, calling the situation “an F5 tornado of B.S. and subterfuge” on X. Atkinson also characterized the scandal as “an absolute s*** show.”

Patriots Veterans Say Mike Vrabel Will Survive Scandal

Harrison also argued that his experience as a subject of tabloid fodder could sharpen Vrabel rather than break him.

“He’s been humbled. But he’s hungry. He’s even hungrier now,” Harrison told MassLive. “He knows he has a lot of stuff to prove to those guys in the locker room.”

Fellow Patriots legend Vince Wilfork, also quoted by Guregian, agreed. The championship defensive tackle, who played under Vrabel during the coach’s time as the Houston Texans‘ defensive coordinator, predicted Vrabel would level with his players and own his mistake.

“He’s going to face it like a man, and hope for the best,” Wilfork told MassLive.

Wilfork was also Vrabel’s teammate, starting in 2004 when the Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to win what was then their third Super Bowl in four years, and continuing with Vrabel through 2008. After that season, the Patriots traded Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Devin McCourty, also now an NBC Sports analyst, gave the clearest timeline for recovery. Surviving the offseason without another damaging revelation is the key. “If you can get to the point of going out and winning football games, people forget about things,” McCourty told MassLive. “If you win, it makes things easier.”