NFL schedule release day is one of the few times a year when team social media accounts go after each other with no filter – and there were some questions going into Wednesday about how Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel might fare. As it turned out, most teams left him alone.
Of the Patriots’ 14 opponents on the 2026 schedule, only the Los Angeles Chargers went there – taking direct aim at Vrabel over his well-documented scandal involving former The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.
Nobody should be shocked it was the Chargers.
They’ve built a reputation over the years for schedule release videos that are sharp, polished, and mean-spirited in the best way possible – going back to their 2022 anime video that spared absolutely no one. This year’s theme was Halo, and when they got to the New England segment, two signs appeared on screen: “Next photo dump: 1 mile” and “NY Post sent you a message.” Both are nods to the ongoing tabloid coverage of Vrabel and Russini, with the New York Post and TMZ releasing a steady drip of photos showing the two together in various locations.
The Chargers didn’t stop there. In the credits, something labeled “Operation Playlist” appeared on screen – with the file name 12_18_22. That’s a reference to a Russini Spotify playlist that internet users tracked down, titled “TURNIN THE PAGE,” shared with an account under the name Mike on Dec. 19, 2022. The date in the file name? That’s when the Chargers beat Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans for their fourth straight loss – Dec. 18, 2022.
Layered, deliberate, and very on-brand.
Beyond the Patriots content, the rest of the NFL’s social media teams had a mixed showing. The Baltimore Ravens’ collapsed trade for Maxx Crosby made the rounds as a punchline, and the San Francisco 49ers’ power substation theory got plenty of attention too – some teams running with it better than others.