Well-known NFL insider Dianna Russini had recently been “sidelined” from reporting on the league by The Athletic after photos surfaced earlier this month showing her and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel holding hands, hugging and lounging near a pool at a resort in Sedona, Ariz., in late March.
Russini and Vrabel, who are both married to other people, previously denied any wrongdoing. However, it’s now known that Russini won’t return to covering the NFL for The Athletic.
Dianna Russini makes huge career decision
Per a letter sent to Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg and posted by The Associated Press and ESPN on Tuesday afternoon, Russini has resigned from her role with the outlet owned by the New York Times.
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini wrote. “When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts. Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept. Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
What The Athletic said about Dianna Russini stepping away
One story from this week noted that Ginsberg initially offering strong support for Russini via a statement shared by Page Six upset staffers at The Athletic. Meanwhile, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio speculated that Russini may have sensed where The Athletic’s investigation into the Vrabel-related matter was heading and “knew regardless of the outcome her contract would not be renewed beyond the upcoming deadline.”
“I’m writing to let you know that Dianna Russini has submitted her resignation from The Athletic, effective immediately,” Ginsberg wrote for a memo sent to staffers and shared by Meredith Perri of MassLive. “While I can’t share the details of our investigation into Dianna’s conduct, I want to emphasize that the leadership of The Athletic has taken this matter seriously from the moment that we learned about it. …When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns, but we received a detailed explanation, and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter. As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation. While our investigation into Dianna’s conduct was ongoing, she chose to resign.”
As for Vrabel, it seems unlikely he will face any punishment related to this matter unless it is determined that he somehow violated the NFL’s tampering rules while having a close relationship with a long-time reporter. Before Russini joined The Athletic in 2023, she spent nearly a decade at ESPN.
Vrabel is expected to publicly speak with media members next week regarding the start of Phase 1 of the Patriots’ offseason program and the 2026 NFL Draft, which gets underway on April 23.