Felger Calls Boston’s Vrabel Coverage ‘Soft’

Overview

• Mike Felger said on a podcast that Boston outlets were “a little soft” and should have sent non‑beat reporters to press Patriots coach Mike Vrabel about his alleged relationship with Dianna Russini.
• Felger argued beat writers depend on daily team access, which makes asking personal and ethics questions risky for their jobs and for future reporting.
• A media column pushed back by noting some Boston reporters did ask Vrabel about the issue during his limited availabilities, citing video reviews referenced by Ben Volin.
• That critique also highlighted 98.5 host Scott Zolak saying he avoided the topic to protect his roles with the station and the Patriots, raising questions about consistency inside Felger’s own shop.
• Context for the coverage: photos of Vrabel and Russini fueled the story, Russini later resigned from The Athletic, and Vrabel’s media availability has been sparse since.