Pretty much every one knew some sort of Mike Vrabel joke was coming Thursday night. And the Los Angeles Chargers didn’t hesitate on pulling the trigger.
The Chargers are known for the high-level production and no-holds-barred mindset they take with their schedule release video and with Los Angeles and the Patriots slated for a Week 12 primetime showdown, it was the perfect chance to take a shot at Vrabel and the off-the-field scandal he’s been embroiled with this offseason with former The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.
To first tease the matchup, the Chargers in their Halo-themed video had a message come on the screen that read, “Nothing to see here. Press X to skip this checkpoint,” which referenced the Patriots’ 16-3 wild-card victory over LA last season at Gillette Stadium.
The Chargers went on the attack after. With ATVs zooming down a track in the video, a billboard in the upper-left corner flashed a sign, “Next Photo Dump 1 Mile.” Streams of photos from the past six years have surfaced of Vrabel and Russini in recent weeks, starting with the two being photographed holding hands at an adults-only resort in Arizona.
That wasn’t the only time the Chargers poked fun at Vrabel and Russini. As the ATVs continued down the track, in the bottom-right corner pops up: “NY Post sent you a message” as the New York Post has been at the center of releasing Vrabel-Russini photos.
You can watch the Chargers’ full schedule release video here, with the parts mocking Vrabel coming around the 3:40 mark.
should we REALLY make our schedule release video in halo?
yes yes yesyes
yesyes yes yes yes
yes yes yes yes yes
yes yesyes yes yes
yes yesye yes yes
yes yes yesyes pic.twitter.com/eusK9QmNGd— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) May 14, 2026
According to Front Office Sports, the NFL had no plans to police teams over making jokes about Vrabel and Russini in the schedule release video. The reported indicted the NFL was letting team’s use their own discretion when it came to the matter.
